Elie Antoine Sehnaoui

Present Position

Semi-Retired, Consultant

Sigma Xi Affiliation 

Member-at-Large

Statement

Sigma Xi since my invitation to join as a Student Member when a Graduate Student at MIT in 1961 has held ever since a very important place of pride in my mind and heart since. And though not much involved in the Society, owing to my numerous activities on four Continents, I always yearned to be somewhat more involved in my zenith years with more time available to serve, and not merely as an individual sleeping partner or dormant member reading interesting scientific articles and news in the Society’s various published papers. 

At my age of 78 and with a very international web of business relations and friends, and speaking fluently several languages, I believe I could be an asset for ΣXI to forge ahead bringing the Membership-at-Large constituency no longer that of individual members as I have acted thus far, but getting members closer together with the commitment of a network.

My time commitment is variable while ensuring at least one third of it to serve my eventual constituency, if elected!
 
Biographical Information: Originally a High School Student at International College [an American College] in Lebanon, in its French Program – many years later I served as a Member of its Board of Trustees for forty years –; while later an engineering student at Loughborough University in the UK, before Graduate Studies at MIT, and still later on, attending a Summer International Management Program at Fontainebleau in France, jointly organized by Stanford University and Insead.

My engineering career, might I say scientific career, as I always considered myself an engineer interested in science and developments thereof, over the years, spanned over five decades. 

I was originally involved in Lebanon, where I built the New US Embassy Office Building for the US Department of State in the early seventies, and the rehabilitation and expansion of a Government owned 19th C. Palace, namely ‘The Emir Amin Palace’; then simultaneously in the Gulf Countries and principally in The Sultanate of Oman, as partner of two uncles of the Sultan while acting as MD, where our company built the two largest Mosques in 1975; and furthermore in West Africa heading a one-man show of my company registered in Panama [for several years, especially in the Republics of The Ivory Coast and Guinea-Conakry, my yearly turn over exceeded US$50 million, including the University of Abidjan Campus (in the late seventies and early eighties) which presently houses 60,000 students].  

I was later involved in real estate development projects in France – where I lived for 25 years - and the United States – my late wife’s country of origin [Caroline Rogers Neill, whose maternal great grandfather was William Barton Rogers, the founder of MIT] where I still have some business oriented interests. 

I have recently authored a book entitled “A $OLID FOUNDATION – A Practical Guide for Civil Engineers & Architects” to be published in America by the end of the current year; based on my rich experience in engineering projects and the lessons I learned over the years, indeed, lessons  which are not covered in any university textbook or syllabus, infusing interesting data for novice engineers and businessmen! 

I am currently still active as an Advisor to individuals or institutional organizations on a part-time basis, an activity I thoroughly enjoy, as it keeps me close to the field in which I was involved for so long and that I still love.

I have written a number of articles and presented conferences on a myriad subjects principally in English or French, namely including one when I was invited to do so at MIT in April 2002.

I was active in scouting in Lebanon and the UK, holder of the Lord Baden Powell Wood Badge as a Cub-Master, from its training camp near London (July 1958), and held the position as  General Commissioner of the Lebanese Boy Scout Association in 1965-66. 

My children, who hold US Citizenship, are all married and live on three Continents: Anthony, the eldest in NJ, USA, while my twins Caroline lives in Switzerland and Alexander in Shanghai, China.

I have never applied for any other citizenship than Lebanon’s though eligible to do so. I consider myself as Rabelais, the 16th C. French writer and thinker “eternally famished for knowledge” and though an engineer by training, mainly interested in the general fields of science [Rabelais was a scientist, a doctor,
a priest and more]!

Elie Antoine Sehnaoui's CV