Adrian Bejan

Who is Adrian Bejan?

Adrian Bejan is an American professor who developed the constructal law of design and evolution in nature. He is J. A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University.

Adrian Bejan was born in Galaţi, a port town located on the Danube in Romania. His mother, Marioara Bejan, was a pharmacist. His father, Dr. Anghel Bejan, was a veterinarian. Adrian Bejan showed an early talent in drawing, and his parents enrolled him in art school. He also excelled in basketball, which earned him a position on the Romanian national basketball team. As a member of that team he traveled to Bulgaria and Hungary. At age 20 he participated in a math competition. The top six finalists were awarded an application form for an American university. Adrian Bejan was allowed to apply for admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was accepted in December 1968 and was allowed to leave for the US in February 1969 at a time when travel was severely restricted by the communist government of Romania.

Adrian Bejan received all his degrees from MIT: BS 1971, MS 1972, and PhD in 1975, all from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT.