USC Professor Azad Madni Wins Prestigious John Fritz Medal

LOS ANGELES, CA – Azad M. Madni, a Professor at the University of Southern California (USC), has been awarded the 2026 John Fritz Medal, often called the ‘Nobel Prize of Engineering’, for his pioneering contributions to transdisciplinary systems engineering.

Established in 1902, the medal honors leaders whose work has advanced human progress. Past recipients include Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Claude Shannon, Gordon Moore, Andrew Viterbi and Elon Musk, according to USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering.

Madni, executive director of USC’s Systems Architecting and Engineering Program, was recognized for advances in transdisciplinary systems engineering through the integration of different disciplines, augmented intelligence, green learning and interactive storytelling in virtual worlds.

“Professor Madni’s pioneering work has helped transform how we design complex systems, and this extraordinary honor is a fitting recognition of the innovation, imagination, and impact that have defined his illustrious career,” said USC President Beong-Soo Kim.

Gaurav Sukhatme, interim dean of USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering, noted that the school’s namesake, Andrew Viterbi, received the medal in 2011, describing Madni’s recognition as a continuation of USC’s legacy of engineering innovation.

Madni grew up in Mumbai, where he attended St. Mary’s High School and studied science at St. Xavier’s College.

He has said that President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 speech on sending Americans to the Moon inspired him to pursue aerospace engineering. Madni moved to the United States in 1965 to study engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1968, master’s degree in 1971 and doctorate in 1978.

Madni has recalled that pursuing a doctorate was necessary for him to obtain a green card at the time. “At that time, the only option available to get a green card was to pursue a doctorate, with proof of two-year self-support,” he said in an IEEE oral history.

At Rockwell International, Madni worked on NASA’s Space Shuttle programme, developing a model-based approach to testing the shuttle’s navigation system.

He later led research at Perceptronics and founded Intelligent Systems Technology, Inc., in 1994. He joined USC in 2009.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Madni has also received the NAE Gordon Prize, the IEEE Simon Ramo Medal and the ASME Spirit of St. Louis Medal. At USC, he holds joint and courtesy appointments in engineering, medicine and education and serves as the Northrop Grumman Foundation Fred O’Green Chair in Engineering. (IANS)