Source :: USC Viterbi
Date :: May 04, 2006

	Prof. Najmedin Meshkati with Sonny H. Astani who received the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering first Distinguished Alumnus Award.

The USC Viterbi School’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has awarded its first-ever Distinguished Alumnus Award to Sonny H. Astani, a Beverly Hills real estate developer.

“We established this new award to commemorate the 100 years of engineering at USC,” said James Moore, chair of the Epstein Department. “Sonny Astani has been involved in the acquisition, development, construction and management of over a billion dollars in apartment buildings and condominiums in Los Angeles. He’s known for quality designs with each of his projects offering a unique relationship between the structure and its existing environment. There is a genuine engagement with the surrounding community. He has built a name synonymous with thoughtful architecture, contemporary sophistication and world-class development. ”

Astani, chairman of Astani Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, received his M.S. degree in industrial and systems engineering from USC in 1978. His firm owns or operates approximately 4,000 apartment units throughout Southern California and is currently developing approximately 2,000 units of condominiums and lofts in downtown Los Angeles with a total value in excess of $500 million.

These include the Concerto, a mixed-use development that consists of two residential towers and one mid-rise residential loft building with 27,000 square feet of two- and three-bedroom units on 27 floors; the Vero project at 1234 Wilshire Blvd., and the high-rise living project at 8th and Grand.

An Iranian immigrant, Astani serves on the Executive Committee of the Central City Association, on the Board of Counselors of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and on the Leadership Council for USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate Development. He is also a member of the Pacific Council for International Affairs and a regular lecturer in the UCLA Extension program.

A resident of Pacific Palisades, Mr. Astani is married with three children and is part of a diverse immediate family with ties to 10 nations. His hobbies include yoga, cycling, swimming Karate and Tai Chi, in which he holds a 2nd degree black belt. He is currently the chairman of the Tenshin-Kai Tai Chi & Karate in Culver City with branches in the U.S. and Japan.