DETROIT — In April the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) will honor Dr. Hussein Dourra with the 2012 Edward N. Cole Award for Automotive Engineering. The lifetime achievement award is being presented to Dr. Dourra for his decades of innovation at Chrysler. The award ceremony will take place at Cobo Hall here.   

Dr. Dourra has worked for the company for 30 years, and joined it in 1982. SAE considers several candidates from different companies for the award, and narrows it down to one distinguished individual. 

It is a high honor and very few scientists have received the award in the past.  Dr. Dourra pioneered the industry’s first electronic transmission controls. He’s a Lebanese American. In addition to his career at Chrysler, Dr. Dourra has over 20 years of teaching experience. 

Dr. Hussein Dourra

“I love my work,” he said noting that passion is a crucial component to success. “I felt so happy when I found out I was nominated.” 

Dr. Dourra says creating innovative inventions that will impact people’s lives positively is what fuels his passion for engineering.  

He’s been honored in the past for his work. In 2007 he was a beneficiary of the company’s Technical Fellows Program, which only recognizes experts in the industry. In 2008 he was the co-recipient of the   Walter P. Chrysler Technology Award. 

A member of the PowerTrain Product Team, he holds more than 25 U.S. patents in system control and has more than 10 technical publications. 

Dr. Dourra received his Ph.D in Engineering and an MBA from Wayne State University. Besides teaching at Lawrence Technological Institute, he has taught at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Oakland University. He is a member of the SAE Transaxle Standards Committee. 

Hussein was born in Beirut Lebanon, and immigrated to the USA in 1982. He is married with 4 children.