Asad Madni ’69, M.S. ʼ72

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The 2024 UCLA Award for Professional Achievement belongs to Asad M. Madni ’69, M.S. ʼ72, for his revolutionary contributions to science, engineering and technology.

A world-renowned visionary leader, scientist, technologist, inventor and philanthropist, Dr. Madni was born and raised in Mumbai, India (then Bombay) where his curiosity was sparked by a simple transistor radio and a desire to improve lives around the world.

Dr. Madni served as president, COO and CTO of BEI Technologies Inc. from 1992 until the completion of its $600 million acquisition by Schneider Electric in 2006. He led the development and commercialization of intelligent sensors, systems and instrumentation for which he has received worldwide acclaim, including the control system for Hubble Space Telescope’s Star Selector, which provided the Hubble with unprecedented pointing accuracy and stability, resulting in truly remarkable images that have enhanced our understanding of the universe; and the revolutionary MEMS GyroChip® technology which is used worldwide in over 90 types of aircraft for guidance navigation and control and in over 80 models of passenger cars for automotive stability and rollover protection. Their use for stability augmentation in passenger cars has saved millions of lives worldwide and continues to enhance the safety of people and transportation systems daily. The sensing technologies that he developed are fundamental building blocks that help make autonomous vehicles a reality.

Prior to BEI he was with Systron Donner Corporation for 18 years in senior technical and executive positions, eventually as chairman, president and CEO. There, he made seminal and pioneering contributions in the development of RF and microwave systems and instrumentation, which significantly enhanced the defense capabilities and combat readiness of the U.S. Tri-Services and allies. Since 2011, Dr. Madni has served as a distinguished adjunct professor and distinguished scientist at the UCLA Samueli School’s ECE department.

Dr. Madni is the recipient of over 100 honors and awards including, National Inventors Hall of Fame, John Fritz Medal (established in 1902 as the highest award in the engineering profession, according to AAES the “Nobel Prize” in engineering), IEEE Medal of Honor (widely recognized as the “Nobel Prize” in electronics/electrical sciences and engineering) and the Royal Academy of Engineering’s highest honor, the Prince Philip Medal. He is an elected fellow/eminent member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventors, Royal Academy of Engineering, Canadian Academy of Engineering, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, New York Academy of Sciences, Washington Academy of Sciences and more than 12 professional societies. He has been awarded six honorary doctorate degrees and seven honorary professorships. In 2019, IEEE HKN named its top award “The Asad M Madni Outstanding Technical Achievement and Excellence Award” to recognize and honor his nearly 50 years of technical and philanthropic accomplishments, and visionary leadership. In 2022, Tau Beta Pi established “The Asad M. Madni Distinguished Alumnus Award and Student Scholarship” in his honor.

A respected philanthropist, he’s made it his mission to further the success of UCLA Engineering, reflecting his vision of engineering's role in shaping a better future. In 2008, Madni, his wife and son established the “Asad, Gowhartaj and Jamal Madni Endowed Scholarship in Electrical Engineering” at UCLA. In 2024, he and Jamal (also a two-time UCLA alumnus) made a generous gift to support future Bruin engineers by establishing the “Asad and Jamal Madni Fund.” In 2023, Madni was honored as the undergraduate and graduate commencement speaker for the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and in 2024, he was honored as the inaugural national chair of the Bruin Engineers Reunion. Madni has also been a mentor to young professionals worldwide, with a focus on under-represented and under-resourced populations.

Dr. Madni has been recognized for his longstanding involvement and dedicated service at UCLA with the UCLA Professional Achievement Award, UCLA Samueli Alumnus of the Year Award, UCLA Engineering Lifetime Contribution Award, UCLA Engineering Distinguished Service Award and UCLA EE Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Service Awards.