A Lasting Legacy

If you’ve spent any time in the third-floor offices of Benedum Hall, you’ve likely heard the same question from students again and again: “Is Dr. Mahboobin around?”

More often than not, the answer was a resounding yes. Whether they needed academic guidance, a bit of perspective, an entertaining story — or even an impromptu moment to cry — bioengineering students at the Swanson School of Engineering knew that Arash Mahboobin’s door was always open. 

After more than a decade of shaping the undergraduate experience, however, the professor of bioengineering and associate chair for undergraduate education is stepping down from his professorship and leadership roles. This career shift marks a milestone in his lifelong passion for education: growing up in Iran and inspired by multiple family members working in medicine and academia, pursuing higher education was a natural path for Mahboobin to follow.

“I kind of fell into the biomechanics field, as it was a bit of a homage to my father, who was an orthopedic surgeon.” Mahboobin said.

Although research brought him to pursue his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh, teaching and mentorship ultimately kept him here. He hadn’t planned on leadership, but his rapport with students made him stand out to department staff and leadership, who recommended him to step into the role of undergraduate program director. 

“I always wanted to teach, but I wasn’t really seeking a leadership role in the department,” Mahboobin said. “But people talked and students said positive things, so I eventually began a two-year, carefully structured transition into directing the undergraduate program.”

Since his official tenure in the role began in 2018, Mahboobin has consolidated bioengineering program information into an incredibly organized handbook, streamlined advising, and used student feedback as a key driver of curriculum improvement every step of the way. Among many other accomplishments, he was monumental in the Swanson School’s 2023 ABET accreditation and received the 2024 Swanson School of Engineering Outstanding Educator Award.

“There was already a great foundation in the department, so I just continued to strengthen what was good about our program,” Mahboobin said. “I wanted to stay true to the data, and use every piece of information I had to continually improve our curriculum.”

Mahboobin also enjoyed teaching and optimizing the courses like Biosignals and Systems and  Dynamic Systems - A Physiological Perspective, creating interactive digital laboratories that provide students with unlimited opportunities to test hypotheses, observe outcomes, and iterate on their understanding of complex engineering concepts. But even with the satisfaction of his academic accomplishments, Mahboobin’s motivation has always come back to those students visiting him in his office each day. 

“As professors, we don't have a hippocratic oath like doctors, but I've always felt that it's my responsibility to take care of our students.” Mahboobin said. “The logistics and curriculum are great to fine-tune, and we've made a lot of changes, but at the end of the day, it's really all about helping our students have a good experience here.”

As Mahboobin prepares to leave the University, he’s looking forward to returning to the family that inspired his path from the very beginning — and exploring new ways to share his talents, knowledge, and passion beyond academia.

“Spending more time with my family is definitely what I’m looking forward to most, since I’ve been in school full time in some way or another since I was seven years old.” Mahboobin said. “I’m excited to see how I can take all of my experiences here and still contribute to education in some way in a new chapter of my life.”