Dr. Shahab Afshari was born at 10:45 pm on March 21st, 1989, the first day of Persian New Year and Spring Equinox, in the city of Rasht, the capital of Guilan Province in the north of Iran and passed away at 10:45 pm on July 1st, 2023, in Hartford, CT.
He accomplished his elementary, middle school and high school education in Rasht, his birthplace. Towards the end of his high school, Dr. Afshari was determined to pursue his higher education to the highest level with the goal of protecting the environment. Even though in North America water is abundant and, in some places, even free, Afsari would not waste water by opening the tap fully—an indication of his care for the environment, even in his final days of life.”
Dr. Afshari graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 2010 and with a Master’s degree in Offshore Structures, both from Gilan University in Rasht. He successfully completed his Master’s courses in the shortest time with “a high GPA.” In 2012, he joined the City University of New York to pursue a second Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. Dr. Afshari’s excellent class participation and aptitude for learning caught the attention of his Hydraulics and Water Resources professor, who invited Dr. Afshari to work as his teaching assistant. By the end of his first semester, Dr. Afshari was given the opportunity to retake his TOEFL and GRE tests and apply for master’s to PhD bridge program in Hydraulics and Water Resources. Dr. Afshari’s dedication and efforts along with his parents’ support and encouragement resulted in his successful acceptance to Ph.D. . Shahab’s passion for learning motivated him to take additional courses, even at other academic institutions such as Hunter College of NYC, and do self studies to expand his knowledge in the field.
In the summer of 2017, while still working on his PhD dissertation on flood modeling, Dr. Afshari was recognized as an expert in the field. He participated in a two-month long summer institute workshop at the University of Alabama. This research symposium focused on analyzing floods across the United States to reduce human and financial losses. Dr. Afshari’s up-to-date knowledge from his dissertation and insightful contributions during the preliminary sessions convinced the group members to entrust him with leading and managing the final research paper. His expertise earned him the informal title of Professor at the symposium. The outcome of his work was so valuable that, at the end of the symposium, the University of Alabama honored Dr. Afshari with an appreciation plaque and gifts.
During the final days of the symposium, the first symptoms of Dr. Afshari’s brain tumor appeared.Shortly after returning to CUNY, these symptoms reemerged and he underwent a brain surgery. Despite undergoing treatment, Dr. Afshari continued working on the completion of his dissertation without interruption. With determination and perseverance in his battle against the illness, Dr. Afshari successfully completed his dissertation on September 26, 2018, without any delay.
Dr. Afshari’s dissertation focused on flood modeling. Previously, flood studies across the United States were conducted based on a maximum of 400 reference points. His research, however, utilized 4,000 reference points, allowing for a much more detailed and precise analysis of floods. As a result, Dr. Afshari’s model significantly improved the accuracy of damage assessments, predictions, and mitigation strategies to minimize flood-related losses.
During his studies at CCNY, Dr. Afshari contributed to the preparation of numerous research papers, both individually and collaboratively, with some of his professors as well as prestigious institutions such as the US Army Corps, in the fields of hydrology, water resources, and environmental studies. The results of these collaborations have been published in prestigious journals, including Nature.
Dr. Afshari has made all of his research papers, reports as well as his Ph.D. thesis freely available on his personal website for students and professionals in the fields of Hydrology, Water Resources, and Environmental Studies. As a result, Dr. Afshar’s website has gained significant citations and it continues to increase till date.
After obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. Afshari continued his academic work in article writing and to pursue postdoctoral research. Shortly thereafter, he was accepted for a postdoctoral research position in the Department of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, located in the academic town of Amherst. Dr. Afshari’s research team focused on studying the melting of Arctic glaciers due to global warming caused by climate change and the concerns regarding the release of fine natural carbon particles trapped in these ice sheets. These particles could be carried into the oceans with the melting ice, be consumed by marine organisms, and ultimately be released as carbon dioxide gas.This research was extended for a second year and led to the conclusion that the amount of carbon dioxide released could reach at least the current levels of atmospheric CO₂ and even double this amount in extreme cases.
In his third year at the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Afshari worked on a postdoctoral research project assigned by a private investment group. The project focused on analyzing coastal water level rise in Florida due to seasonal storm surges, hurricanes, and melting polar ice caps.During his three-year tenure at the university, Dr. Afshari b took advantage of the opportunity to further enhance his expertise. He participated in several in-person and online courses on the latest advancements in programming and specialized methodologies, earning professional certifications in areas such as Advanced GIS, Advanced Python Programming, HEC-RAS Modeling and AutoCAD drawing– Autodesk Civil 3D.Throughout both of his postdoctoral research projects, Dr. Afshari remained under the supervision and treatment of the MSK medical team in New York.
After completing this milestone, Dr. Afshari decided to join an engineering firm, aiming to gain practical experience while dedicating his free time to writing articles and conducting personal research. He reached an agreement with a reputable consulting firm specializing in road engineering and environmental protection and joined its branch office in Hartford, Connecticut, as the Head of the Hydrology and Water Infrastructure Division.
Unfortunately, less than three months into his tenure, the aggressive recurrence of his illness, followed by a second surgery and severe complications, forced Dr. Afshari to step away from his job, research, and academic writing. Despite the worsening of his condition and the decline in his mobility and efficiency during the year and a half following his second surgery, Dr. Afshari didn’t lose hope. He successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam of the U.S. engineering licensing system and was preparing for the Professional Engineer (PE) exam.
Dr. Afshari spent a few hours each day, aside from his medical treatments, in the forests by rivers, wetlands, and farmlands. He found solace and rejuvenation in watching birds, hardworking animals, and the vibrant essence of nature. Upon returning home, Dr. Afshari would dedicate part of his free time to reading messages from people who engaged with his articles and research.. Many who had previously sought Dr. Afshari’s guidance that helped them advance their projects and they continued to update him on their progress and ask new questions occasionally.. Additionally, scholars and students from around the world who had come across his research papers or doctoral dissertation would reach out for Dr. Afshari’s expert opinion—unaware that, due to the continued accessibility of his personal website, he had already departed from this world.
A quote from Dr. Afsahri’s family friend and an admirer: “How many reasons can one have to keep living, yet still be absent… How worthy can one be of life, yet still be gone… and gone. In my view, Shahab’s departure is a wound on our souls, a wound on the very meaning and value of life… It is an injustice to all creators and artists of beauty. What an effort it would take for the world to witness another like Shahab again.”
