We are CSIE

Rafi Baghdjian was an executive at Shell for 35 years, covering the technical, commercial and leadership aspects of the energy business during 10 assignments worldwide until 2017. From late 2017 to early 2020, he was the CEO of IDeA Foundation. Currently, Rafi is an advisor to various foundations and related entities. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Aznavour Foundation, co-founder and board member of the International Chamber of Mines of Armenia and a member of the Energy4Climate team of AUA. Rafi lectures around the world using 45 Learnings based on some 60 real life stories and events from his 35 years at Shell, covering Cultural Navigation, Deal Making and Strategic Leadership.

Naira Hovakimyan received her MS degree in Applied Mathematics from Yerevan State University in Armenia. She got her Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics from the Institute of Applied Mathematics of Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. She is currently W. Grafton and Lillian B. Wilkins Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering and the Director of AVIATE Center of UIUC. Naira has co-authored two books, eleven patents and more than 450 refereed publications. She is the 2011 recipient of AIAA Mechanics and Control of Flight Award, the 2015 recipient of SWE Achievement Award, the 2017 recipient of IEEE CSS Award for Technical Excellence in Aerospace Controls, and the 2019 recipient of AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award. In 2014 she was awarded the Humboldt prize for her lifetime achievements. 

Naira is Fellow of AIAA and IEEE, and senior member of NAI. She is co-founder and chief scientist of Intelinair. Her work was featured in the New York Times, on Fox TV and CNBC. 

Astghik Hakobyan is a Leading Researcher at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education and Aerial Robotics Education. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Automation and Control from NPUA in 2018 and went on to achieve her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU) in Seoul, graduating in 2020 and 2023, respectively. Astghik has been recognized with the prestigious Distinguished ECE M.S. Dissertation Award and the Distinguished ECE Ph.D. Dissertation Award from SNU. Her research focuses on control and optimization, motion planning, and the development of safe autonomous systems.

Haykanush Darbinyan is a Technical Manager at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education and Aerial Robotics Education․ She earned her ME degree from the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA) in 2013, specializing in Automation and Control.She has been qualified as a Research Engineer by the SEUA in the field of Informatics, Computer Science, and Automation in 2019. Haykanush obtained her Ph.D. from the NPUA in Engineering, specializing in Automation and Control in 2020. 

Since 2013, Haykanush has held various positions at Armenian National Engineering Laboratory (ANEL) of NPUA, National Instruments AM LLC, AirWorker LLC, and American University of Armenia (AUA). Her main responsibilities include teaching UAV-related courses and conducting laboratory sessions, organizing cooperation and overall lab duties, developing safety protocols and maintaining schedule, as well as grant application support, among others. 

Haykanush is concurrently an Assistant Professor at the Control Systems chair of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) and a Researcher at the Aerial Robotics Research and Education Center of NPUA. 

Tigran Bakaryan is a Leading Researcher at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education and at the Institute of Mathematics of NAS RA. Tigran received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Yerevan State University (YSU). Earned Ph.D. in Fourier Analysis at the Institute of Mathematics of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. During Ph.D. studies, obtained a Young Researcher grant from the Science Committee of RA.

Later, Tigran worked as a junior researcher at the Institute of Mathematics and concurrently as a teaching associate at the American University of Armenia (AUA) and YSU. In 2018, he joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as a postdoctoral fellow and worked on the theory of Mean-Field Games (MFG).

During the post-doctoral program at KAUST, Tigran spent a few months at the Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Catania as a visiting research scientist. In 2023, he joined the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) as a postdoctoral research associate. At UIUC, he focused on applied problems related to multi-agent autonomous systems. His research interests are in the theory of PDEs, game theory, MFG theory, control theory, multi-agent autonomous systems, and related areas.

Rafik Simonyan is a UAV Specialist at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Automation Engineering from NPUA in 2024. With a specialization in UAV Design and Development Engineering at Yerevan Aerospace Engineering, Rafik is adept at conceptualizing, constructing, and rigorously testing cutting-edge aerial drones. His proficiency extends to UAV Control and Testing, demonstrated through his role at the Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems. 

Rafik has a proven track record, notably as a UAV Tuner and Tester Engineer at AirWorker LLC. Here, he played a pivotal role in configuring reconnaissance and training UAVs, adjusting attack UAVs, and designing control systems for diverse aircraft types. His has participated in the successful development and testing of a control system for a 10 KW wind farm. He is currently engaged in the project titled "Design and Development of a Prototype Cargo UAV with a 10 kg Payload Capacity" funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports RA Higher Education and Science Committee Grant. 

Armen Sardaryan is a Program Manager at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education. He graduated from Yerevan State University (YSU), Mathematics Department in 1991. During 1994-1997, he went through an MBA program at the American University of Armenia (AUA). The emphasis of the Program has been Executive Management, with a minor in Economics.

Since 2002, Armen has studied MA in Economics at Central Michigan University, MI, USA. The Program has been rigorous on math models and their applications in Economics. The major field of study has been Development Economics. Specialized in chaos theory and its applications in the stock markets, international trade, and government policies leading to economic development; Excellent academic performance with a US government fellowship, a recipient of the Edmund Muskie Fellowship award from 2002 to 2004, and a recipient of the University Teaching Fellowship in 2006.

Sona Parsyan is a Project Manager at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education, contributing to collaborative efforts in developing research and innovation-based projects. With over a decade of experience, she has specialized in Project Management. Sona completed her Master’s degree in Social Psychology and International Politics at Yerevan State University in 2016. Sona earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations there in 2014. Engaging in International Education projects, she has led and managed numerous educational initiatives with her team, spanning various topics and pioneering new training methodologies. She has also worked in the IT and Tech sectors in Armenia for over five years, primarily focusing on Innovation and High Tech endeavors.

Vahe Serobyan is a Laboratory Assistant and 3D Modeling Specialist at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. He is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Automation at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA). Vahe specializes in robot design and assembly, with a particular focus on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). His expertise includes 3D modeling, design, and printing, as well as the operation of laser-cutting machines. In 2019, Vahe led his team to victory at "Robotex Armenia," and in 2023, he earned top placements across several categories at the "Hawq 2023" competition.

Maria Khodaverdian is a Research Scientist at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education. She earned her M.Sc. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Isfahan in 2021 and her B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Payam-e Noor University of Isfahan Province in 2017. Maria specializes in designing nonlinear and robust control methods, multi-agent systems dynamics and control, vibration analysis, and fault-tolerant control, particularly in aerospace applications. She has authored over ten articles in prominent journals and was recognized for her exceptional M.Sc. thesis in aerospace engineering in Iran in 2022.

Vahe Shirvanyan is a Lecturer at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education. He holds an M.Sc. with high distinction in Applied and Engineering Physics from the Technical University of Munich, where he also did his Ph. D. in Quantum Optics. Vahe has spent most of his professional work in deep tech start-up ecosystems, and his core expertise is driving innovation in highly complex engineering environments. In addition to his professional work, he has a passion for teaching and has experience instructing students across a range of technical topics and levels.

Anna Tonoyan is a Research Assistant at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. Currently, she is a Master's student specializing in Automation at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia in Yerevan. She graduated from Yerevan State University with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and Informatics in 2023. At CSIE, Anna is deeply involved in cutting-edge research projects, where she has completed a rigorous course on control systems.

Yeva Gabrielyan is a Research Assistant at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Yerevan State University in 2023. Her research focuses on control systems and visual-inertial odometry. 

Yeva plays a key role in CSIE's research projects on risk-aware motion control of mobile robots in dynamic environments and contributed to the team’s success in the “Hawq 2023” competition, earning two first-place awards.

Tigran Pahlevanyan is a Research Assistant at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. He graduated from Yerevan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Informatics and Applied Mathematics in 2024. His research primarily centers on the control of unmanned aerial vehicles, especially quadcopters, and other advanced control methodologies. Tigran actively participates in UAV projects, including quadrotor control and system identification, and achieved notable success in the “Hawq 2023” competition.

Artur Ghazaryan is a Research Assistant at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. He is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Software Engineering in NPUA. He is a specialist in UAV design and assembly and is specialized in parameter tuning, calibration, testing. Artur is proficient in Mission planner, Betaflight, MATLAB, Adobe, etc. Artur distinguished in the "Hawq 2023" competition with top placements in several categories. He modified a custom VTOL UAV for environmental monitoring, contributing to university research. Artur conducts workshops on UAV construction and also serves as a Teaching Assistant for courses related to control systems.

Andy Younes is a Research Assistant at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering from NPUA in 2024. Andy has distinguished herself through her research on drone control for efficient plant seeding and her expertise in machine learning. She developed a machine learning algorithm capable of deblurring, denoising, and colorizing old images for her Bachelor's dissertation. Recently, she served as the team captain for the 2024 American Control Conference Self-Driving Car Student Competition organized by Quanser. Her team successfully competed and secured third place with their state-of-the-art control algorithm integrated with advanced object detection technology.

Nane Hakhverdyan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education. She is in her third year of pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Informatics at Yerevan State University. Her studies focus on control systems and robot operating system.

Anna Beklaryan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Information Technology at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. Recently, she participated in the 2024 American Control Conference Self-Driving Car Student Competition, organized by Quanser, where her team secured third place with a state-of-the-art control algorithm integrated with advanced object detection technology.

Lusine Barseghyan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Information Technology at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. Recently, she participated in the 2024 American Control Conference Self-Driving Car Student Competition, organized by Quanser, where her team secured third place with a state-of-the-art control algorithm integrated with advanced object detection technology.

Vahagn Makaryan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Information Technology at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. Recently, she participated in the 2024 American Control Conference Self-Driving Car Student Competition, organized by Quanser, where her team secured third place with a state-of-the-art control algorithm integrated with advanced object detection technology.

Artak Mnatsakanyan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and currently a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Automation at the Institute of Information and Telecommunication Technologies and Electronics, National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA).

Artur Sargsyan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovations and Education. He earned his Bachelor's degree in 2023 from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA), majoring in Information and Applied Mathematics. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in the same field.

Gor Arzanyan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science at The Zaven and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering at the American University of Armenia (AUA). His academic interests lie in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and applying mathematical modeling  to solve real-life problems.

Artyom Khachatryan is a Research Intern at the Center of Scientific Innovation and Education and a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Data Science in Physics and Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Physics at Yerevan State University (YSU).