Zaheer Ali

NASA Scientist, Agile Process Expert & TEDx Speaker

Zaheer is currently a senior manager for the USRA Science and Mission Operations of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) with responsibility for compliance, product assurance, safety, and quality of all USRA work on SOFIA.  He is also a founding executive for Material Mind, a company applying AI to fundamental materials research, and AIXIA Global, an industry 4.0 technology integrator.

SOFIA

In his time at USRA/NASA, Zaheer has built science instrumentation and the laboratory facilities for SOFIA resulting in the commissioning and integration of 7 capital class systems. He also developed and led the science ground support for multiple SOFIA deployments around the world.

Publications

Trained as a research Physicist, with specialties in electron transport and nuclear radiation detection, he worked in R&D for several years which resulted in patents, an R&D100 award, and over 40 authored or co-authored publications.

Research

Zaheer worked as an engineer and manager for the US Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site, there he co-founded the National Center for Nuclear Security, and worked as a Program Manager after returning from a two year assignment where he was Principal Investigator and Shot Director at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics of the University of Rochester. Additionally, Zaheer has over 10,000 hours “in the fab” and consulted as a micro/nano device (MEMS) engineer for several years.

In his spare time, Zaheer enjoys running, biking, and climbing for sport, and also spends time working on his 1977 ‘Vette.