Mona Jarrahi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mona Jarrahi
Born	1979 Tehran
Nationality	Iranian
Alma mater	Stanford University (Ph.D.), 2007 Stanford University (M.S.), 2003 Sharif University of Technology (B.S.), 2000
Known for	Terahertz Optoelectronics
Scientific career
Institutions	University of California University of Michigan Stanford University

Mona Jarrahi (in Persian: مونا جراحی; born in January 1979) is an Iranian Engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She studies new materials and special electronic devices that work with very fast light waves, called terahertz and millimeter-wave technologies. She uses these to create new ways to see things, like in medical imaging, and for communication.

In 2013, Professor Jarrahi received a very special honor called the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This award was given to her for her important work in "Terahertz Optoelectronics," which is about using light and electronics together at very high speeds.

Mona Jarrahi's Early Life and Education

Mona Jarrahi receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2014.

Mona Jarrahi was born in Tehran, Iran, and completed her high school education there. When she was 16, in 1995, she won a silver medal at the Iranian National Physics Olympiad, showing her early talent in science.

She earned her first university degree, a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, from Sharif University of Technology in 2000. After that, she moved to the United States and joined Stanford University in 2001. At Stanford, she continued her studies in Electrical Engineering, earning her master's degree in 2003 and her Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in 2007. In 2016, her old university, Sharif University of Technology, recognized her with a "Distinguished Alumni Award."

Her Journey as a Professor

After finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Jarrahi worked as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2007 to 2008. Then, she became an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where she taught and did research from 2008 to 2013.

In 2013, she joined UCLA as an associate professor. By 2017, she became a full professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UCLA.

Professor Jarrahi has made big advancements in creating super-fast electronic and light-based devices. These devices are used for sensing, imaging, computing, and communication systems that use terahertz and millimeter waves. She uses new materials and tiny structures to make these devices work better. One exciting area she works on is using advanced terahertz imaging systems to help find cancerous tumors very early.

She is also a respected member of several important scientific groups, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Optical Society of America (OSA), the International Society of Optical Engineers (SPIE), and the American Physical Society (APS). Being a "Fellow Member" of these groups means she is highly recognized for her contributions to her field.

Awards and Special Recognition

On December 23, 2013, Professor Jarrahi received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from the President of the United States, Barack Obama. She was one of only 102 scientists and engineers to get this award that year. The award committee specifically praised her work in "Terahertz Optoelectronics."

Professor Jarrahi has received many other awards and recognitions for her groundbreaking work. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Mona Jarrahi para niños