My Grandfather (Abbu) - A Gentleman and a Scholar

Dr. Z. U. A. Warsi, 74, professor emeritus at Mississippi State University, died in Starkville on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.

Zahir Uddin Ahmad Warsi was born on October 23, 1934 in Dewa, India to Sharf Uddin Ahmad and Anwarun Nissa. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Shahira, Ishrath and Khurshid.

Although there was no school in his small hometown, education was extremely important to his family. Therefore, he was tutored at home until he entered 3rd grade in Etawah, where he lived with his aunt and uncle. Boarding schools and intermediate school would follow. His thirst for knowledge would last his entire life, as he was known for waking in the middle of the night with innovative ideas for scientific research.

Dr. Warsi attended the University of Lucknow, where he received a BS in Physics, Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics and English, a MS in Mathematics and a PhD in Mathematics. Upon graduation in 1963, he took a position with the Uttar Pradesh state government at the Irrigation Research Institute. After that, he took a position with the Indian federal government as head of the aerodynamics laboratory at the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee, India.

Two highly acclaimed journal articles based on his doctoral research produced faculty invitations from universities in the United States. He came to America in 1967 to join the faculty of the MSU Department of Aerospace Engineering where he became an internationally renowned scientist in the field of fluid dynamics, the study of fluids in motion.

During his stellar career, he received numerous awards, including the Medallion Certificate of the Southeastern Section of the American Society of Engineering Education, NASA Certificate of Recognition, three Hearin-Hess Distinguished Professor awards from MSU, Outstanding Research Paper Award of the MSU College of Engineering, Outstanding Research Awards from the MSU College of Engineering and the College of Engineering Career Achievement Award.

He was also a member of several professional organizations, including Sigma Gamma Tau, Sigma Xi and the American Academy of Mechanics. He served as an associate fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and was a life member of Ganita.

Dr. Warsi had numerous publications, with 5 books and book chapters, over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and 12 technical reports. In 1992, he published Fluid Dynamics: Theoretical and Computational Approaches, which was the recipient of much critical and scholarly acclaim. The widely-used textbook is currently in its third edition.

He taught extensively at the university level, with 12 courses and the advisement of 21 graduate students. An avid researcher, his interests included boundary layer theory, non-Newtonian fluid dynamics, application of numerical methods to fluid dynamics and continuum dynamics. Although Dr. Warsi retired from MSU in 2002, he continued his scholarly activities, with his last journal article published in June 2008.

Besides academia, Dr. Warsi was passionate about religion and politics – only because the two affected what was dear to his heart: humanity. Always humble, he was a quiet philanthropist and a strong supporter of many causes – all to aid in removing human suffering and tyranny. He was gentle, yet strong; tolerant and devout; a beloved husband and father.

He is survived by his wife, Amina Fatima Warsi, to whom he was married for 50 years as of July 3, 2008. He is also survived by daughter, Fatima Warsi Shmulsky and husband, Rubin of Starkville; daughter Rani Warsi Sullivan and husband, Thomas of Starkville; son Saif Uddin Warsi and wife, Naheed of Huntsville, Alabama; son Shahab Ahmad Warsi and wife, Saba of Greenville, South Carolina and son Javed Ahmad Warsi and wife Deena of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He had 14 grandchildren.

A service was held Thursday, December 4 at Masjid Al-Huda on Herbert St. followed by burial at Memorial Gardens. Welch Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He was known to all as a gentleman and a scholar, and he will continue to live in the hearts and minds of the many people he touched.

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