A Philadelphia University graduate is among the missing Titanic submarine group
Philadelphia University graduate Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, are presumed dead after their submersible went missing on its way to view Titanic wreckage.
»Update: The pilot and four passengers of a missing submersible that disappeared en route to the wreckage of the Titanic are believed to be dead, the expedition company said Thursday.
A Philadelphia University graduate is one of the five people aboard the missing submarine making headlines this week.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman, 19, traveled on Titan — the submersible that went missing Sunday on its way to view Titanic wreckage — their family confirmed in a statement.
» READ MORE: What to know about the missing Titanic tourist submarine
Shahzada’s online biography says he earned his Master of Science degree in global textile marketing from the school, which merged with Thomas Jefferson University in 2015. As reported by 6abc, his LinkedIn page says he graduated in 2000.
The Dawoods are a prominent Pakistani business family. Participating in one of OceanGate’s Titanic voyages costs $250,000 per passenger. The Dawood family’s business — Dawood Hercules Corporation — is a large corporation led by Shahzada’s father with a portfolio ranging from energy and agriculture to IT. According to its website, Shahzada and his siblings are leaders in different branches of the company.
Shahzada is also the vice chairman of Engro, a Pakistani power and energy corporation.
“We, at Engro, remain in prayer for their swift and safe return,” the company said in a statement.
The Engro Corporation said Shahzada’s interests include wildlife photography and exploring nature and that Suleman enjoys science fiction literature, playing volleyball, and solving Rubik’s cubes.
Shahzada and Suleman live in England along with Shahzada’s wife and their daughter.