In memoriam: The enduring legacy of Professor Behrouz Peikari

SMU Lyle is saddened by the loss of Professor Behrouz Peikari, who passed away Aug. 17, 2026. Peikari joined SMU in 1969 and dedicated 57 years to teaching and mentoring students as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In 2025, as SMU celebrated 100 years of engineering education, Peikari reflected on his remarkable career and the transformation he had witnessed firsthand. His memories captured more than nearly six decades at SMU, tracing an era of extraordinary change in engineering and the growth of a school shaped by generations of educators, students and innovators.

With nearly six decades of dedication, Peikari, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was a beloved fixture at Lyle. In conversation, Peikari fondly recalled how much has changed since he first arrived at SMU's engineering school.

“The building we’re in now was a parking lot,” he recounted in a 2025 interview. “The engineering school was housed in what was then Caruth Hall – three stories, no elevators.”

But his journey to SMU, some 57 years ago, began more than 7,500 miles away in Iran, where Peikari competed against tens of thousands of students to secure a coveted spot at the University of Tehran. There, his exceptional performance in electromechanical engineering earned him the highest rank and a scholarship to continue his education abroad – first at the University of Michigan to pass the English language exam and then at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a doctorate in electrical engineering.

In 1969, shortly after earning his doctorate, he accepted a position to teach at SMU and made the trip to Dallas. He arrived to find an engineering school poised for expansion. Industry giants like Texas Instruments and General Dynamics needed a university where their employees could pursue advanced degrees.

Through a pioneering partnership, SMU's engineering school soon became the first to use microwave technology and closed-circuit television to broadcast lectures to partner facilities during the workday, enabling students to remain employed while pursuing higher education. Many employees graduated with master’s and doctoral degrees, and more were drawn to the school to begin their careers. Engineering at SMU would never be the same, and there, amid the progress, was Peikari.

The field itself was changing rapidly. As a mechanical engineering student in Tehran, Peikari witnessed the popularization of the transistor. He recalled in amazement the technology that transformed electrical engineering by allowing electronic devices to be powered by increasingly smaller systems. This was a far cry from the first computers, which he described as running on vacuum tubes that filled entire rooms.

Inspired by the progress he knew would come from the transistor, he changed his major to focus on electrical engineering and never looked back. That choice ultimately led him to SMU – convinced that electrical engineering and the chance to nurture the next generations of progress were something special indeed.

“That’s the miracle of electrical engineering,” Peikari affirmed. “It all started from a transistor.”

Over nearly six decades in the classroom, Peikari witnessed significant changes in engineering and in the students pursing it. He was particularly happy to see more women enter the field, recalling how few were in his classes when he first started teaching.  

But for Peikari, it was always the students who were the most meaningful part of his career. He most enjoyed watching the field of engineering become a more welcoming place and connecting with students who, like him, truly loved to learn. As he reflected on his engineering journey, he spoke more about the accomplishments of the students he taught than his own, describing the pride he felt in knowing that each student he came to know would go on to make an impact – as an inventor, researcher or educator.

“It is so gratifying to see how much Lyle and its students have grown to become what they are today,” Peikari reflected. “That gratification is one of the reasons I show up here every day.”

As much as his students encouraged and empowered him, he, too, was a guiding force and bright light in their engineering journeys. Sevda Zafarmandi Ardabili, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, recalled his impact fondly.

“His mentorship has provided me with opportunities to challenge myself, refine my problem-solving abilities, and gain confidence in my work,” she shared. “But beyond academia, he is one of the most distinguished, kind-hearted, and inspiring professors I have ever had the privilege to learn from.”

Across nearly six decades of dedicated and compassionate service, Peikari played a role in every stage of Lyle’s growth, grounded in his belief that the best engineers begin as students with the courage to change the world. His legacy lives on in the school he helped shape and, most of all, in the generations of students whose lives and careers he influenced.