El-Sayed, Yehia M.

Yehia M. El-Sayed Professor Yehia M. El-Sayed was born in 
Alexandria Egypt on September 13, 1928. He received his 
Bachelors Degree from Alexandria University, and his Doctorate 
in Mechanical Engineering from Manchester University in 
England. His academic career took him across the world. He 
taught and conducted research at Assiut University (Egypt), 
Kansas State University, Dartmouth College, Glasgow University 
(Scotland), Tripoli University (Libya) and The Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology. His legacy persists in the thousands of 
students whose careers and intellectual development he has 
influenced. He was a recognized international authority in 
desalination, thermodynamics and thermoeconomics. Over the 
course of a highly productive career, he authored two books, 
over 40 scientific papers and was awarded a United States 
patent for his design "Radial Inflow Compressor for Large 
Volumetric Flows." A Life Fellow of the American Society of 
Mechanical Engineering, he was a two time recipient of their 
prestigious Edward F. Obert Award for his scientific 
contributions, in addition to a Best Paper Award from the 
International Desalination Association. In 1989 he started his 
own consulting firm, Advanced Energy Systems, providing 
energy analysis to clients across the globe. In addition to being 
a successful scientist, who wrote and published until the end, 
he was first and foremost a devoted husband, father and 
grandfather. Despite the professional demands on his time, he 
preferred whenever possible to work at home at the dining 
room table, so as to be near his family. In his free time he 
loved swimming, bowling, and spending peaceful afternoons 
with his loved ones. He infused his family with his contagious 
humor, passion for the sciences, and hunger for adventure and 
travel. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Amina El-Kholi, 
daughter Maha El-Sayed, son Yasser El-Sayed, son-in-law 
William Fisher and grandchildren Tamara and Ramsey Fisher. 
On September 17, 2010, after a long battle with cancer, he 
passed peacefully at his home in Fremont, California 
surrounded by his family. 

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on September 19, 2010