Igor J. Karassik (December 1, 1911 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire^[1] – July 2, 1995 in Maplewood, New Jersey)^[2][3] was a Russian-American engineer known for his pioneering work with pumps, a field in which he was "world-renowned"^[4] and an "outstanding authority".^[5]

Karassik was born to a wealthy Russian-Jewish family.^[6] His father, a mechanical engineer, Ivan Karassik (1880—1969) was a son of a Kharkov merchant Nukhim-Perets (Peter) Karasik (c. 1849—1906). His mother Malvina Barjansky (1882—1967) was a daughter of an Odessa 1st guild merchant, composer, and pianist Adolf Barjansky (c. 1850—1900). Igor had an older sister Helen (1909—1990). The family immigrated to the United States in 1923^[1][7] to escape the Russian Revolution.^[8] He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology,^[9] and also studied in Turkey and France.^[3]

In 1934^[9] or 1936,^[3] Karassik joined the Worthington Corporation; by 1974, he was a vice-president.^[10] He subsequently worked for Dresser Industries.^[9] In 1980, he became the first recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Henry R. Worthington Medal for achievement in the field of pumping.^[11]

He wrote over 1100 technical articles and papers on pump use and maintenance,^[3] as well as several books, including Centrifugal Pump Selection, Operation and Maintenance, Engineers' Guide to Centrifugal Pumps, and Centrifugal Pump Clinic;^[8] he also co-wrote Pump Questions and Answers,^[8] and co-edited Pump Handbook.^[8]

In 1996, the Thirteenth Pump Users Symposium was dedicated to his memory.^[12]