Shaz Vijlee

About

Shazib (Shaz) Vijlee is an Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Portland’s Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering. He has held various positions in industry (Boeing Phantom Works) and government (Sandia National Labs and Air Force Research Labs). His experience lies at the intersection of mechanical engineering and chemical engineering applied to energy and aerospace/defense systems.

Dr. Vijlee has been at the University of Portland since 2014. At UP, he teaches introductory engineering, thermal systems, combustion, capstone, and engineering economics in both lecture and laboratory settings.

His research focuses on alternative fuels, combustion, biomass/bioenergy, and energy use in the developing world. More broadly, he studies how engineering and business must work together to tackle modern problems through multidisciplinary problem-solving, strategy, and systems thinking. He also sees the classroom as a laboratory and enjoys developing and testing new ways to teach engineering and more.

He serves on the board of Building Blocks 2 Success (a Portland-area non-profit) and previously served on the ambassador board of De La Salle North Catholic High School (a Portland-area Catholic High School).

He was an Assistant Professor of Engineering from 2014 to 2020. He directed the First Year Engineering Experience from 2016 to 2020. He was Associate Dean of Academics from 2020 to 2024.

Education

• M.B.A., University of Portland (Oregon)
• Ph.D., Engineering University of Washington (Seattle)
• M.Sc., Engineering University of Texas (Austin)
• B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas (Austin)

Links

Curriculum Vitae

Professional Website

Recent Publications

1. SZ Vijlee, “The Five Factor Framework: A Tool to Increase Engineer Awareness and Skills for Comprehensive Solution-Finding,” Industry, Engineering, & Management Systems Conference, Clearwater Beach, FL: Association for Industry, Engineering, & Management Systems (AIEMS), 2026.
2. M Anderson, SZ Vijlee, and DL Blunck, “Ignition Behavior of Dry Wood Under Varied Convection and Radiation Heat Transfer,” Proceedings of the Western States Combustion Meeting, Portland, OR: Combustion Institute, 2026.
3. SZ Vijlee, A Pundle, JC Kramlich, “Effects of Hydrogen Injection and Temperature on Enhancing Homogeneous Mercury Oxidation by Chlorine,” Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Volume 75, Issue 10: A&WMA, 2025. (DOI)
4. SZ Vijlee, “Engineering Students’ Perceptions and Preparedness for Globalization,” Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Montreal, QB: ASEE, 2025. (DOI)
5. SZ Vijlee, SA Salomone, AM Guest, “A Mixed-Methods Analysis of First-Year Engineering Student Curiosity in the Context of a Liberal Arts Core Curriculum,” Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Montreal, QB: ASEE, 2025. (DOI)