Bijan Fazal Earns NASA’s Systems Engineering Technical Excellence Award

NASA’s Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) has announced that Bijan Fazal of NASA’s Langley Research Center is a recipient of a 2025 System Engineering Technical Excellence Award (SETEA). Fazal is being honored in the Systems Engineering Excellence—Individual category for his work in improving the way complex engineering systems are designed and analyzed. According to the OCE, the award category recognizes those who demonstrate “outstanding application of systems engineering principles to achieve mission success on a project. (Their) approach significantly impacted customer needs and exemplifies NASA Systems Engineering (SE) technical excellence.”

Fazal and his team, all part of the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (ASAB), imagined integrating two different design processes, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Model-Based System Analysis (MBSA). “My motivation,” he explained, “was to introduce systems engineering and to show that it can add value to the conceptual aircraft design and mission analysis when combined with systems analysis.” He led the team in creating a workflow that allowed MBSE and MBSA to collaborate, making the aircraft design process more efficient and effective.

“Bijan’s commitment to the advancement of state-of-the-art engineering design tools in combination with his deep expertise with both systems engineering and systems analysis guided the blueprint for a new way of managing concept design,” said Patricia Glaab, branch head for ASAB within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD). “His perseverance, advocacy, and dedication helped his team turn the vision into reality.”

The result—Model-Based Systems Analysis and Engineering, or MBSA&E—is a first-of-its kind digital toolset for NASA and is vital for the conceptual design of advanced aircraft to help the agency meet the aviation community goal of future airliners that use up to 30% less fuel than best-in-class today.

Fazal’s work has been published and he actively advocates for MBSA&E in government and industry forums. Fazal has been with NASA for almost three years. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, an MBA in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Fazal is NASA Langley’s only recipient of a 2025 SETEA. The complete list of awardees is available at NASA.gov.

Congratulations, Bijan!  

“Bijan’s commitment to the advancement of state-of-the-art engineering design tools in combination with his deep expertise with both systems engineering and systems analysis guided the blueprint for a new way of managing concept design.”