Past Presidents

Ranjit Sahai, PE, F.ASCE (NCS President, 2013-14)

On New Year's Day in 1983, Ranjit and his wife looked through the airplane's porthole as it prepared to land at Houston International airport. He held her hand and observed, pointing to the cityscape that showcased a marvelous view of skyscrapers and highway interchanges he had never seen before. "Isn't this the paradise that mankind has been searching for? Human potential unleased, to dream and build, unfettered by constraints of traditional norms. Thank you for choosing me as your husband as I join you in our life together in the United States of America." He was thinking of two books that have influenced his life, the books his college roommate had suggested he read.

UH Downtown

Over the course of his life on campus at the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, he read all available books by the author of the books his roommate had suggested. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in Structural Engineering. He went on to finish a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston, Downtown campus in 1984.

The two books that sparked his journey to the US were the 1943 novel (and 1949 movie starring Gary Cooper and Patricia O'Neal) The Fountainhead and a collection of non-fiction articles in book form titled, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Both, written by Ayn Rand.

He authored five books and wrote hundreds of articles in computer magazines from 1987 to 1999. His fifth book titled Teach Yourself MicroStation/J became his most successful book of its time, published on January 26 in 1999. To get a glimpse of what the book meant to its readers, feel free to browse through its Reader Feedback.

He starts work on his sixth book on April 28, 2024, titled Infrastructure: It's Future, Present and Past. Its anticipated date of release is January 26, 2028. You are welcome to share his journey to authoring Infrastructure: It's Future, Present, and Past in an upcoming Bentley User Communities group titled Infrastructure: Its Future, Present and Past.

If you would like to have your employer share images of innovative projects done in glorious 3D using Bentley software, in his upcoming book, have them email him directly. With gratitude for your interest in his upcoming book--which he promises will be worth significantly more than every penny you may invest in it.

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