AESA 2022 Executive Council
Dear AESA Members,
We would like to introduce you to our 2022 AESA Executive Council. These individuals will lead our organization to new and better heights. With their vast background and expertise, we believe we are in capable hands.
Aram Ter-Martirosyan, President
Aram Ter-Martirosyan holds a B.S. from UCLA in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University. He started his professional career in 1993 at Lexi International, a Telecommunications company as a Software Engineer and very rapidly advanced to Senior Software Engineer, Project Manager and ultimately, Software Architect. At Lexi, he designed and developed real-time call management software and a billing system for more than twenty thousand simultaneous users which saved the company more than $30M in operational expenses within the first two years of deployment. He was highly recognized numerous times by his peers and senior management.
In 1996, Aram joined NetCount.com, a new Internet startup, as co-founder and CIO, who designed and implemented a real-time website hit counting system which revolutionized the Internet’s add-and-hit counting and reporting technology. This company was successfully sold to a much larger competitor, which is still utilizing the same system, mainly for being more advanced in technology.
From 1997 to 1999, he worked as an independent consultant for the software development and IT departments of Telecommunications and Internet companies. Aram Ter-Martirosyan worked with numerous well-known companies including MCI Telecommunications, Sprint Telecommunications, Star Telecom, Geocities.com (Yahoo) and Aegis Telecommunications Group.
In September of 1999, Aram Ter-Martirosyan joined Hi-Tech Gateway, Inc as CIO.
In 2002 he joined ConnectTo Communications, Inc again as co-founder and CIO.
Asadour Tarakchian, Vice President
As an entrepreneur, Asadour “Ace” Tarakchian has founded multiple businesses in different industries including Education, Healthcare, Bioengineering, and Nonprofits. Since 2013, he has started an educational consulting firm, a mobile clinic, healthcare device company and more.
With a bachelor’s degree in Biology from UC Irvine, where he also obtained his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), he is as versatile as the work he does and the positions he has held. A nerd at heart, Ace spent several years working in emergency healthcare services. He has research publications through UC Irvine, Cedars-Sinai, and City of Hope and patents on devices. He then transitioned over to helping businesses succeed, where he found his true calling.
Ace now runs his business consulting firm out of Los Angeles and has built a history of working with and advising 100’s of businesses and organizations from startups to enterprises internationally and throughout the United States assisting with raising capital, pitch decks, financial analysis, projections, business planning, operations management, financing, contract procurement, and business development.
When he’s not running his firm, he’s a goofball that loves cooking, making cocktails, riffing on his guitar, swimming, hiking, learning about new cultures and languages, binging TV/movies, and holding impromptu barbecues with family and friends.
Richard Ohanian, Past President
Richard Ohanian holds a B.S. in Applied Physics from Azad University in Tehran, Iran, and a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He has more than 20 years of experience in aerospace, automotive and semiconductor industries. Richard was an adjunct faculty at Glendale Community College, where he established GCC’s Robotics Academy, and currently is a Lecturer of Electrical Engineering at California Institute of Technology.
He won various NASA group achievement awards and has multiple U.S. patents. His publications include a physics book for high school students, which was published in Iran. Richard has founded numerous organizations such as ArmEngine (2004) and Ohaniom Enterprises (2015), and has been active in various community organizations. He was the President of AESA for two years.
Aida Bareghamyan, Secretary
Aida has been an AESA Member since 2017. Outside of the STEM Academy, she is heavily involved in AESA’s Science Olympiad and Conference/Expo committees. She Graduated from University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences in 2015. Currently, she’s a PhD Candidate at the USC Neuroscience Graduate Program. She is passionate about mentoring college students in research as well as inspiring young students to follow a scientific path. She is looking forward to working with the AESA STEM Academy students and team to inspire and train the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Nareh Saghatelian, Treasurer
Nareh Saghatelian obtained her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is PMP certified. Her background is in product and project management and is currently a project manager at Microsoft. Nareh has been active in AESA for over three years, two years as Executive Director overseeing various initiatives and committees within the organization. In 2021, Nareh was a co-chair of the United AIO conference, a global conference that highlighted over 100 new project proposals and drew over 1000 registrants. Nareh also helps organize various educational programs for the Armenian Bar Association.
Linda Megerdichian, VP-Elect
Linda Megerdichian holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Azad University, Iran (2008) and an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering – Digital and Computer Science, from California State University, Northridge (2016). She currently works as a Digital Hardware Design Engineer at Extron, designing digital logic for high-speed signal processing devices. She is a part-time faculty member at California State University Northridge where she teaches Digital Design related topics. Linda is also an advisory board member of the “Women in Leadership” program, at the University of Riverside extension, where she provides counsel to further engage women in leadership roles.
In 2019 and the beginning of 2020, she served as an Executive Secretary at AESA, and as a general councilor until December 2021.
Her focus is to continue expanding AESA’s horizons across the globe. She believes bringing the global Armenian STEM community together will create even a stronger network of Armenian scientists and engineers who will continue to support and empower one another.
Sarkis Barkhoudarian, Nominating Committee Chair
Sarkis Barkhoudarian has extensive experience in the conception, proposal, research, development, testing, manufacture, implementation, integration and maintenance of non-intrusive (NI) and remote sensors, smart control, in-situ inspection and real-time health management systems (HMS) for the harsh environment of rocket, jet, helicopter engines, and thermodynamic-solar, nuclear, fossil, wind, oil, gas, and petrochemical power plants.
He spearheaded the development of advanced instrumentation and pro-active health management technologies, one of the three capabilities credited for winning a $300M National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) contract. He was the lead for Rocketdyne’s Engineering Department and received a commendation from the President of the company. He has created, expanded and managed a 30-specialist Advance Measurement Department, capturing $50M+ NASA, DoD, DoE and R&D contracts, developing innovative I&C, Inspection and HMS. He is a NASA- and DoD-recognized expert in innovative in-situ inspection, real-time health management (HM), and non-intrusive/remote instrumentation and control (I&C) systems.
Sarkis was the 1994 AESA President. He established the Victor Hambartsumian Grants and Awards. He launched the Boston and Detroit AESA branches. They, along with SF, DC and NY supporters, raised about $900,000, supporting the Cosmic Ray Department on Mount Aragats, making it an International Solar Flare Science Center. He supported the 300-specialist AESA Software Conference and the raising of $45K for preserving Armenia’s Botanic Garden and forestry. Currently, he has been leading the development of two industries in Armenia, collaborating with Engineering City and Polytechnic Institute: Non-Invasive Neurostimulation for treating migraine and soldiers’ PTSD; and Non-Intrusive and Real-Time Inspection and Health Monitoring of helicopter/airplane engines and power-plant turbines and pumps. He is working on launching outsourcing engineering businesses in Armenia.
Sona Juharyan
Sona Juharyan is currently in Armenia through iGorts program working at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure in the Road Policy Department. Her current position is to review policies and provide recommendations for improvement. She was a transportation engineer with Caltrans District 7 as Materials Engineer, supporting D7 (Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) on roadway design, ensuring that it is designed and constructed according to standards. Previously, she was an employee of Alta Vista Solutions as a Materials Representative (SMR) for Caltrans Materials Engineering and Testing Services (METS). As an SMR, her responsibilities were to review submittals daily for conformance with project documents, standard plans and specifications, as well as anticipate and resolve any issues associated with Quality Assurance and Source Inspection while maintaining standards, consistency, contract schedule and cost. Sona obtained her B.S. degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.
She has been the AESA Science Olympiad Committee chair since 2015, during which, she has expanded the AESA Science Olympiad to include participating students from New York, Armenia and Artsakh. She continues to contribute to the advancement of STEM knowledge in youth by providing mentoring workshops. Sona has been an active member of the 2017 and 2018 GALA committees, 2019 AESA Conference and Expo, and Robotics Team.
Talin Zadoian
Talin Zadoian holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Engineer in Training Certificate EIT. She has been an AESA member since 2008. After moving to the U.S.in 2007, she studied building electrical system design and currently works as an Electrical Design Engineer at ARC Engineering Inc performing site inspection, design, study and preparing technical drawings & specifications to insure installations and operations conform to standards and customer requirements. She is pleased to be part of the AESA Board, she will work side by side with other members to improve and introduce new activities to the association and encourage young engineers and scientists to join, share their ideas, thoughts and become active members in AESA.
Grant Atikyan
Grant is a Sensors Research Engineer & Scientist at Northrop Grumman Corp specialized in gyroscopes, accelerometers, MEMS transducers, & atom-based sensing within the fields of Precision Navigation & Timing (PNT) & Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) where he develops control architectures for various sensors, both analog & digital signal processing (DSP).
He has his Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, Communications, Embedded Computers, & Control Systems from Cal State LA. He’s a growing politician within the Defense & Aerospace industry and has a lifetime career in the Defense industry.
He’s worked heavily with AESA as well as other organizations such as AYF, Tekeyan Cultural Association, and government establishments of The Republic of Armenia, including Ministry of Defense & Ministry of High Tech.
Alex Vartan Natanian
Alex Natanian received his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in Agricultural Machinery and Their Use in Agrarian Field. He started working in a company named Electro-Hydralicon where he was responsible for their hydraulic component assemblies and automation. He improved, designed and fabricated the Hydraulic Manifolds, forming the pipe connections and accessories. In his 49-year career, he has installed more than 650 different types of machinery.
Alex loves voluntarily participating for the community’s wellbeing. He volunteered for the ARARAT team in Iran, Armenian College Graduates of Iran, conducted free lectures, tutoring, etc. In Hamburg, Germany, he created a youth chapter in the Armenian society of Hamburg.
Since 1987, he has been working in the plastic machinery industry in various companies, the latest being American Renolit Corp. where he produces human life saving devices such as IVs, blood bags, and more.
Levon P. Thorose
Levon Paul Thorose has been Chief Executive Officer of PSI LLC since 2008. He has huge experience in the field of technology development, which is being used for developing new technologies in PSI for export and worldwide sales. The marketing of Armenian technology in the United States and worldwide is handled by GII, where Levon Thorose has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2012.
Levon Thorose has been involved in various Armenian organizations such as Friends of Armenia (FOA) humanitarian organization where he joined in 1998 and has served as President. Also, Levon Thorose has been a member of Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) and served as President in 2002. During his tenure, the Science Olympiad program in AESA was launched, which shines as one of AESA’s star programs to this day. He has been a member of Knights of Vartan and served as Commander (Aspet) since 1995.
Levon Thorose is a retired Technology Development Director from Hughes Aircraft Company in the USA’s Military Industrial Complex after serving for 30 years. Then he joined Raytheon Company and worked and resolved troubled high technology development programs for US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force before retiring from Raytheon.
Shaunte Baboumian
Shaunte also serves on the AESA Northeast Branch’s Board. She has her Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in New York. She is currently a research professional.
She headed several projects within AESA including the United AIO Conference, which consisted of virtually every Armenian organization, AESA Conference and Expo conducted during Glendale Tech Week, and the AESA Mentoring Forum.