Daryoush Mortazavi is a professor in the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) at Humber College who brings years of experience in engineering in both academia and industry. Having completed his PhD in Electrical Engineering in Australia, Daryoush has over 15 years of practical industry experience at various industries in Iran, Australia, and Canada. At Humber, he applies his vast expertise in both classrooms and applied research projects.
Background and expertise
Daryoush completed his PhD at Deakin University in Australia, where he conducted research in nanotechnology and image processing. As a professor at Humber, Daryoush continues to be actively involved in various research projects; he is currently the Principal Investigator on an ongoing research and in the last 1.5 years he has received six Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Engage grants in collaboration with several academic institutions, two of which were with Humber College.
On applied research
Daryoush notes that he conducts applied research because the experience benefits both students and industry partners; he shares:
“I, as a faculty member, collaborate with industry partners on applied research projects to get involved with new technologies which are in demand in the industry to be able to enhance business opportunities for my students. Partnering in applied research and innovation projects also provides tangible and strategic results that further boosts our industry partner’s bottom line.” —Daryoush Mortazavi
Additionally, Daryoush states that the applied research project also benefits him as a professor since it informs and assists him in developing new course content with the latest knowledge and advancements in the industry.
Current research project
Most recently, Daryoush has applied his knowledge and expertise to solving a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic: indoor navigation in crowded areas. Daryoush is collaborating with industry partner Circuit Plus for the project Indoor Navigation System-Wayfinding. The project was awarded the NSERC Engage grant ($25K) in 2021.
Circuit Plus is a Canadian engineering firm with over 20 years of experience designing, developing, manufacturing, and testing electronic devices in industrial, commercial, and healthcare fields. The research team is developing a mobile application that can help users with indoor wayfinding by leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, cloud computing, and mobile app development. The goal is to reduce the amount of interaction people have in crowded places, thereby reducing the likelihood of transmission of the highly contagious COVID-19 or any other diseases.
As a Principal Investigator of the collaborative research project with Circuit Plus, Daryoush notes that support from the Office of Research & Innovation (ORI) has been invaluable. Reflecting on his experience with ORI, Daryoush states:
“The research achievements could not happen without the help of ORI. ORI’s team has always been very supportive and informative. They assisted me from the first step of defining my projects until finalizing them. I really appreciate ORI’s team.”
—Daryoush Mortazavi
Collaboration with students
Daryoush emphasizes that getting involved in applied research can help students develop wide-ranging skills; he notes, “Applied research experience helps students develop both their technical skills and soft skills such as teamwork and communication skills.” In addition to his prominent research endeavours, Daryoush actively contributes to his field and the larger community in his capacities as a founder and president of both the non-profit organization of IC Association of Scientists and Scholars (ICASS), to make a synergistic platform of engineers and researchers; and the profit company of Synnovate Inc. to lead R&D projects and education in the Industry 4.0 area.
As a faculty member at Humber, Daryoush is keen to help his students develop the skills that are in demand in the industry. We asked Daryoush what advice he would give for students eager to get involved in research but who have no prior experience. He responded,
“I’d advise students to reach out to faculty members who share their research interests, ask questions and express interest in learning more.” —Daryoush Mortazavi
Daryoush underscores the importance of collaboration between students and faculty members as a key component of a successful educational experience.
Get to know Daryoush a little more. Here are four things to know:
- Favourite book: History and poetry books
- When not at work: Attending networking events
- Favourite social media platform: LinkedIn
- Coffee or tea: tea and one cup of coffee a day
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.