University of Illinois CEE alumnus Njdeh F. “Jack” Yaghoubian (BS 61), known for his pioneering work in earthquake protection systems, passed away in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 29, 2025. He was 91.
Born in Tehran on Aug. 8, 1934 to Armenian parents, Yaghoubian had a structured childhood starting with a Meccano erector set at the age of six. In is memoir, …And Then I Met the Getty Kouros (2014) he remarked that he was born to be an engineer, "with the knack for thinking outside the box".
After convincing his parents to support his education in the United States, he evaluated his options to pursue civil engineering. While initially leaning towards schools in California where he had family, a meeting with a mutual friend changed his mind. According to his memoir, he reconsidered his plans after Professor Smbat Abiam, a mathematics professor from the University of Pennsylvania, explained to him, "There’s only one school in the United States that any serious student who’s considering civil engineering should attend—the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It’s ranked number one in the nation."
Professor Smbat also added that he had a friend at Illinois, Dr. Narbey Khachaturian.
Yaghoubian arrived at Willard airport in August 1957, ready to embark upon his civil engineering education at the University of Illinois. Awaiting his arrival at the airport was Narbey Khachaturian. Khachaturian drove Yaghoubian campus and assisted him in securing housing.
Specializing in geotechnical, environmental, and structural engineering, particularly reinforced concrete design, Yaghoubian graduated in 1961, and noted in his memoir that he stayed in touch with a number of Illinois faculty members, including Dr. Nathan Newmark and Dr. Narbey Khachaturian, to consult with him on future projects.
Over 18 years and across five continents, Yaghoubian contributed to major infrastructure projects worldwide including: introducing the first slurry trench system in the U.S. for the California Bank headquarters in San Francisco—a method later used at the World Trade Center.
A visit to the Getty Museum in Malibu in 1983 spurred Yaghoubian to develop a proprietary base isolation system that made art objects behave as if suspended in air and remain unaffected by shaking. Following this pioneering innovation, Yaghoubian was asked to evaluate the fragmented Getty Kouros statue dating to 530BC.
His earthquake base isolation system for fragile antiquities, combined with a mechanical joint system, made it possible for the Getty Kouros to stand again after 2,500 years. Yaghoubian considered his art preservation technology among his most important achievements, inspiring the title of his memoir.
Yaghoubian is survived by his widow, Lilit Marzbetuny Yaghoubian; son David N. Yaghoubian; daughter Christina Hillman (John) Dahlberg; grandchildren Matt, Grant, and Daniel Hillman; sister Rita Bagdasarian; stepsons Vahe (Zarui) Marzbetuny and Zareh (Armine) Marzbetuny; and step-grandchildren Davit, Ava and Ella Marzbetuny.
A full obituary can be read here.