CSI Celebrates Ashraf’s 60th Birthday!

On Sunday, February 18, 2007, Computers and Structures, Inc. hosted a reception in honor of company founder and president Ashraf Habibullah’s 60th birthday. Ashraf was joined by more than 400 colleagues and friends, as well as world-renowned stars and dignitaries of the engineering profession, at Zellerbach Hall on the campus of UC Berkeley for an elegant evening of food, live music, and entertainment. The party was followed by a performance by the critically acclaimed Diablo Ballet, of which Ashraf is also co-founder and president. 

CSI associates from around the world─from as far as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Portugal─were in attendance that night, as were numerous esteemed UC Berkeley faculty members including professors Ed Wilson, Graham Powell, Joseph Penzien, Jack Bouwkamp, Hassan Astaneh-Asl, Anil Chopra, Jerry Sackman, Roy Imbsen and Bozidar Stojadinovic. Ashraf was also joined by long-time colleagues Loring Wyllie, Chairman Emeritus of Degenkolb Engineers, Dr. Mark Ketchum of OPAC Engineers, and David Messinger of David L. Messinger & Associates. Ashraf noted that it was Messinger who gave Ashraf his first job after he completed his masters degree in engineering at UC Berkeley more than thirty years ago. 

Ashraf gave a warm toast to his guests, saying, “The things that matter most in life are good food and good friends. Tonight we have good food, and you are all certainly my good friends. Good food and good friends make for great times, and I am honored that you are with me to celebrate my birthday.”

The festivities culminated with a stunning performance by Diablo Ballet. The critically acclaimed company performed the original piece, The Tale of Cinderella, as well as Dancing Miles, a tribute to the legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. The company’s professional intermediate program dancers performed a special piece, Go Girls, in honor of Ashraf’s birthday. Ashraf co-founded Diablo Ballet with artistic director Lauren Jonas in 1994.