Dr. Michael Kezirian

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Michael Kezirian is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering in the Department of Astronautical Engineering. He is an Associate Technical Fellow at Boeing Company, where he supports the development of the Boeing Starliner CST-100 as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. His previous work includes responsibilities as a Safety Representative for the Space Shuttle Program's Mission Management Team, focused on safety products related to flight operations, flight readiness reviews, and the resolution of on-orbit anomalies. Throughout his career, he has served as an analysis lead, contributing to cross-agency collaborations with NASA, the aerospace industry, and academia to develop flight rationales that ensure safe Space Shuttle operations. Kezirian is a member of the AIAA standards committee on pressure vessels and has taught industry-focused courses on composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) design and certification. He has a Doctoral Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's Degree from Brown University, where he has also made significant contributions to the governance of space safety engineering through his leadership in organizations such as the International Space Station Foundation and as an editor for the Journal of Space Safety Engineering. He is recognized as an Associate Fellow of AIAA and has received the NASA Astronaut Personal Achievement Award (Silver Snoopy).

Research Interests

Experience

Adjunct Professor

2023-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Teaching courses on safety in space systems and operations.

Associate Technical Fellow

2020-01-01 — Present

Boeing Company • Los Angeles, CA

Supporting the development of the Boeing Starliner CST-100 as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Awards

#

NASA Astronaut Personal Achievement Award (Silver Snoopy)

2009-01-01

Courses

ASTE 529 Safety in Space Systems ASTE 599 Safety in Space Operations ChE 472 Polymer Science ChE 772 Polymer Science ASTE 480 Spacecraft Dynamics

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in engineering or related science
Application Checklist
  • Official transcripts
  • GRE General scores
  • TOEFL scores (International)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal Statement
Specialization Notes

Requires general GRE for all graduate degrees.