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EMC Personality Profile
Frank Sabath, Associate Editor
Introducing Farhad Rachidi
With this personality profile I
would like to draw your
attention to a colleague who
has an international professional biography.
The person I would like to introduce
is Farhad Rachidi. In the EMC Society,
Farhad is well known for his research
work on lightning discharge and its electromagnetic
effects. In addition to his
research activities, he is active in several
societies, conference committees and technical
committees. Personally, I have met
Farhad several times at conferences. In
2008, I had the honor to serve under his
leadership on the EUROEM 2008 committee.
As I thought about the profile for
the current issue of the EMC Newsletter,
I thought it was time to write something
on Farhad Rachidi. Consequently, I wrote
an email, asking for some background
information. I expected a personal flavor,
but Farhad’s response surprised me.
Farhad Rachidi was born in 1962
in Geneva where both his parents were
studying. At the age of three months
his family went back to Tehran where
he grew up. He was raised in a family
of artists. His father is a well-known and
respected actor and director of theater
and cinema. Farhad’s father is still active
and one of his last plays he directed was
Richard III by Shakespeare. Farhad has
also two aunts in the movie business (one
is a director and the other is an actress)
Farhad Rachidi with his wife at the EUROEM 2008
cocktail party.
and his little sister is
in Canada. From April
also a theater actress in
1998 until September
Tehran. After Farhad
1999, he was with Mon-
got his high school ditena
EMC in Switzerploma
from the French
land. Finally, he returned
School, he intended to
to the Swiss Federal
stay in the family busi-
Institute of Technolness
and study art. But
ogy (EPFL) and became
his life turned to anoth-
a professor. Currently, he
er direction.
is the head of the EMC
Due to the Iran revo-
Group at EPFL. His re -
lution, the universities
search interests con-
were closed down and
Farhad Rachidi had ei- Farhad Rachidi
cern electromagnetic
compatibility, lightning
ther the choice of go-
electromagnetics and
ing to military service
electromagnetic field in-
or studying abroad. The Iran government teractions with transmission lines.
restricted studying abroad to studies in Farhad Rachidi is actively involved in
engineering and medical sciences. Farhad the organization of various International
made his choice and started studying elec- Symposia in the field of Electromagtrical
engineering at the Swiss Federal Innetic Compatibility and Lightning as a
stitute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne. member of the Scientific Committees as
Since then, his life has followed the well as Organization Committees. For
typical path of an electrical engineer. He instance, in 2008 he served as Chairman
received the M.S. degree in electrical en- of the 2008 European Electromagnetics
gineering and the Ph.D. degree from the International Symposium (EUROEM
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology 2008), Lausanne, Switzerland. Since June
(EPFL), Lausanne, in 1986 and 1991, re- 2008, he has served as the President of
spectively. From 1991 to 1996, he stayed the International Conference on Light-
with the EPFL at the Power Systems Labning Protection (ICLP).
oratory and had several short stays at the He is also active in research groups
University of Florida and the NASA Ken- and scientific communities. He is a Felnedy
Space Center. In 1997, he left Switlow member of the IEEE and a member
zerland and joined the Lightning Research of various IEEE, CIGRE and CIRED
Laboratory of the University of Toronto working groups dealing with lightning.
Farhad blowing an alp horn at the banquet of the EURO-
EM 2008 conference.