BY RICHARD OHANIAN

Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America is organizing a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference & Expo at Glendale Tech Week. AESA is excited to host these events as a strategic initiative that is bound to become a hallmark event in Los Angeles, aiming to converge the Armenian STEM community worldwide in an annual celebration of achievements in STEM. The event will take place from September 15 to 17.

The AESA Conference at Glendale Tech Week 2019 will be held on Sunday, September 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Glendale Central Library, located at 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA 91205, and it will include cutting-edge STEM related presentations and multidisciplinary panel discussions in a wide variety of technical topics. Undergraduate and graduate students, as-well-as professionals engaged in science and engineering will present their work in form of a poster or oral presentation. Businesses and university affiliates will have the opportunity to advertise academic programs and scout for talented individuals in our community.

This is an exceptional collaboration and networking opportunity among diverse presenters, program affiliates and local audiences. Students and professionals in science and engineering are expected to present their research and technology related advancements to a broader audience. The goal of the conference is to create a forum for STEM professionals, researchers and students to share their research with a broader audience, network, and create opportunities for further collaboration among participants. This year, the list of speakers at the conference consists of world-renowned researches and experts in various STEM disciplines such as medicine, robotics, chemistry, computer science, and astronomy.

The AESA Expo will be held on Monday, September 16, and Tuesday September 17, from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles, located at 117 S. Louise St., Glendale, CA 91205. It will showcase creative startups and established companies from Armenia and the U.S., and present their extensive wealth of technology talent and world-class entrepreneurial excellence. This will be an exceptional opportunity to market breakthrough innovative products and services and network with local and international professionals in STEM related fields, and benefit from collaboration with local and global businesses in our technology ecosystem by exploring funding opportunities with investors and venture capital organizations in the Southern California region, as well as market products to local and global needs. Participating companies will present their unique talents in this marquis event and also find new talent to hire. This event is open to all tech companies here in the U.S. and abroad, especially for tech companies from Armenia to augment their business and brand name.

AESA is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-profit organization founded in 1983 in Glendale, CA, based on a vision to create a worldwide Armenian scientific organization with the objective of creating venues for all engineers, scientists and industrialists of Armenian descent to network, interact and help one another. Throughout its history, AESA has organized and implemented many projects, conferences, seminars, and workshops in Armenia and United States to achieve its goals. We firmly believe that advancing in STEM and utilizing STEM based models and processes guarantees a bright future for our nation-state. Professional organizations such as AESA, with their STEM based value system, professionalism, and global reach can and must play a central role in creating that bright future.

AESA’s mission is to enable and empower an Armenian STEM Community worldwide to reach its fullest potential and facilitate global progress through STEM education, collaboration, and humanitarian initiatives. We strive to impact the Armenian nation, state and the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development. Our vision is to be the leading platform for enabling the worldwide Armenian STEM Community to network and address global challenges through innovative solutions and to foster a world where STEM professionals, especially Armenians, are empowered, enabled, and influential. Our mission and vision, as well as our values, based on scientific rigor/endeavor and innovation, teamwork and collaboration demonstrate and enforce our commitment to search for knowledge and uphold the truth without any ideological or political bias. We promote the free and fair exchange of ideas and we believe that the clash of ideas is the only way we can solve today’s challenging problems.

At present, AESA is engaged in various activities including organizing annual AESA Science Olympiad for middle and high schoolers, where students from Armenia and Artsakh are also participating, establishing AESA chapters in universities, organizing annual AESA STEM Conference/expo, initiating AESA Leadership & Entrepreneurship Academy, awarding scholarships for STEM graduates and undergraduates, organizing periodic STEM lectures, and finally recognizing STEM professionals with awards such as the award named after Victor Hambartsumyan, who was the first recipient of the prestigious award.

Our long term goals include creating a global Armenian “STEM Community” worldwide, attracting youth and new-members towards STEM, becoming a role model for professional organization in Armenian nation-state, partnering with STEM based entities in Armenia and other countries, organizing annual AESA Regional Conferences, establishing AESA Leadership & Entrepreneurship Academies in Armenia and other countries, awarding hundreds of scholarships and grants to STEM students, establishing research centers and STEM based think-tanks in Armenia and the diaspora, as well as accelerators and incubators for start-ups and finally implementing high-impact/high-value STEM based projects and initiatives in Armenia and the diaspora.

Visit the website to read more about AESA activities. AESA Conference and Expo programs and registration info can be found online.

To reach out to AESA with any inquiries regarding the AESA STEM Conference & Expo, please send an email.

Richard Ohanian is a Principal Engineer with GM/Cruise, and lecturer at Caltech. He is the 2019 Vice President, and 2020 President of AESA. He can be reached by email.