Article Archive

Justin Daher’s CSU experience was anything but ordinary. Having gained earned college credits at Mayfield High School, Daher entered as a sophomore only to be thrown a curve ball. During spring break of 2019, he had a heart attack-like episode and was diagnosed with myocarditis—inflammation of the heart. Hospitalized for weeks and quarantined for more thereafter, he completed his semester from home with straight A’s while undergoing many procedures. An interning doctor’s ultrasound of Daher’s heart later identified a life-threatening diagnosis requiring open heart surgery. He returned to CSU in the fall of 2021 and still managed to graduate in three years. 

A benevolent family-first person, Daher cared for his younger sibling during his tenure, inspiring them to follow in his (and the family’s) footsteps by attending CSU as well. Powered by deep curiosity, Daher calls his invention-dedicated research endeavors “informal,” but he landed on a “geothermal dehumidifier” to harvest clean water from humid air. “The Daher Drywell” became his senior design project. Now in the patent process, Daher hopes those struggling to find fresh water worldwide will be able to put a low-cost version of the invention to good use. Daher was also behind the student-based petition initiative to get a “Pass/Fail” grading system implemented for CSU’s remote learning during the COVID-19 quarantine. He was inspired by a witnessing a friend’s deteriorating mental health during the pandemic. Proud member of the Math Club, Robotics Club and an honorary member of Baja SAE during his time at CSU, Daher is now employed at MAGNET as Operational Excellence Consultant.

“My journey was rough and intimidating, but I am very proud of what I was able to accomplish in such a short period of time, with such daunting circumstances,” said Daher. “I’d like to thank everyone for considering me for this honor. I was not aware that being a candidate was a possibility for me. I am greatly humbled.”