Congratulations, Dr. Azad M. Madni

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai is proud to congratulate our distinguished alumnus Dr. Azad M. Madni on being awarded the 2026 John Fritz Medal, often called the “Nobel Prize of Engineering.”

Established in 1902, the medal has previously honoured Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Dr. Madni receives it for his pioneering contributions to transdisciplinary systems engineering, augmented intelligence and green learning.

Raised in Mumbai, Dr. Madni joined St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, in 1963 to study Science with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology, following his schooling at St. Mary’s High School.

Both institutions share a distinguished Jesuit educational heritage. Inspired by the dream of space exploration, he moved to the United States in 1965. There he earned three engineering degrees from UCLA, worked on NASA’s Space Shuttle programme, and founded Intelligent Systems Technology, Inc. Today he is a University Professor of Astronautics, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

His journey from our classrooms to the forefront of world engineering reflects the Jesuit ideal of magis, the pursuit of excellence in service of others, and inspires every Xavierite, past and present.

Congratulations, Dr. Madni!

Warm regards,

Xavier Development Programme (XDP)