Established February 16, 2023, with gifts from Bami Bastani (MS 1977, PhD 1980), Janice Bastani, and Thomas Caulfield given in honor of Professor Marlin Thurston (PhD 1955). This scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who are enrolled in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Bami Bastini (L) with President Ted Carter Jr. in 2025
Dr. Bami Bastani was born in Tehran, Iran, where he finished high school. Mrs. Janice Bastani was born in Springdale, Arkansas. She graduated from high school in Misawa, Japan, where her dad was stationed. They met at the University of Arkansas, where Bami received his BSEE and Janice received her BA in Journalism. He began his graduate studies at The Ohio State University in 1975. He completed his MSEE and PhD, specializing in solid-state electronics, in 1977 and 1980, respectively.
Bami was always very engaged in many aspects of university life as well as his studies. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a 4.0 GPA and was the recipient of the Ohio State University EE department’s 4-year Fellowship.
During his undergraduate years, he held several officer positions at the IEEE Student Branch and ultimately served as President of the IEEE Student Branch during his senior year. He received Eta Kappa Nu’s Outstanding Sophomore award, EE Dept’s Outstanding Sr. award, and the School of Engineering Senior Scholar Award.
He believes that receiving the OSU EE department Fellowship was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He found OSU’s vast resources and excellent academic opportunities. Upon joining, he sought to contribute to the EE department in any way possible. So, he voluntarily asked to set up a Microelectronics Lab, where one can fabricate semiconductor devices. This initiative was welcomed by his advisor, Dr. John Swartz, and the department Head, Dr. Marin Thurston. He and three other fellow graduate students voluntarily banded together and, in less than two years, set up a fully functional Microelectronics Lab in the basement of Dreese Lab.
He recommended that a new course be offered in semiconductor fabrication, based on this new capability. This was approved and offered as a senior and master’s level course, EE637. He subsequently declined his Fellowship and was the first TA to teach this course. EE637 became a very popular course. While it has evolved since 1977 when the lab was established, this course is still being offered in ECE Department. The new, modernized lab’s cleanroom is located in the basement of Dreese Lab II.
Dr. Bastani has had an exciting career. Upon receiving his PhD from OSU, he joined the Intel Corporation’s Technology Development team in 1980. He served in the Device Research Conference (DRC) and IEDM committees. In 1983, he received Intel Corporation’s Individual Achievement Award. He continued his Technology Development career for 12 years, moving up the ladder and serving as the Vice President of Technology Development at National Semiconductor. During this phase, he was co-author of a dozen papers and co-inventor of three patents.
Dr. Bastani went on to general management roles at National Semiconductor and Fujitsu Microelectronics. Following that, he served as the CEO of three public companies, ANADIGICS Inc., Trident Microsystems, and Meru Networks. He finally joined GlobalFoundries (GF) as a Sr. Vice President of a multi-billion-dollar division. In October 2021, GF conducted the largest IPO to date in the semiconductor industry at $26 billion.
Dr. bastani retired after 43 years in the semiconductor industry in March 2023. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of three semiconductor companies, two of which he is the chairman.
Dr. Bastani and his wife have been married 49 years as of 2025. They live in Northern California.
Reunion at The Ohio State- Penn State game 2023- Bami and fellow graduate students who built the Microelectronics Lab in 1977 and taught EE637 :
From left to right: Dr. Gian Gerosa, Dr. Jose Miaz, Dr. Bami Bastani, Dr. Shankar Balasubramanian ECE Dept Head, Dr. Hal Brown.
Dr. Bastani’s advice to the scholarship recipients:
- Be “goal-oriented” in everything you do.
- These 4 or 5 years of undergrad school will shape your next 40 years of your career and life. Take it seriously. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND PURSUEING A MASTERS DEGREE WHILE YOU ARE AT IT! Companies hire BS majors by the dozen in low-level roles. That extra one year pays off from the get-go!
- Earn everything through your efforts and never feel you are entitled to anything. Persistence and grit pay off.
- Be humble, be helpful, and be generous with your time to others. That is how you develop your leadership skills and create followership.
- Use your God given intellect to question things and guide yourself. We live in a very biased society with lots of far-left or far-right views dominating social media. Be your own thinker.
- If you are one of the best, you will never feel discrimination. I came here from Iran after high school as an international student with a suitcase and enough funds for 2 years. But I was determined to be the best, and the rest fell into place.
- Marilyn Thurston was a great mentor and advisor. It is our honor to establish an undergraduate endowment at the Ohio State.
Janice and I wish you the best of success in your studies and upcoming careers.
Bami Bastani featured at the EE Department brochure
We appreciate Dr. Thomas Cualfield and his family for cosponsoring this endowment fund.
Story provided by Bami Bastani, July 2025.