Famous Armenians in Science

[alphacarbon]

I think this category needs to be added...
(my totally biased opinion of course)

[karoaper]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Great idea. I'm certain there are more, but these ones are the ones I had read about or came into indirect contact myself.


Yervant Terzian: The David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences
Director, NASA NY Spacegrant, Cornell

http://www.astro.cornell.edu/people/facstaff-detail.php?pers_id=114

------------

Olvi Mangasarian: John von Neumann Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~olvi/

Have read some of his papers. In machine learning/pattern recognition and data mining this man is very very big.

------------------

Ambartsumian, Viktor: Many international astrophysics conferences around the world have been held in his honor. Held the post of president of International Astronomical Union. In fact, astronomy is big in Armenia.

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9113042

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Ambartsumian

------------------

Sergei Nikitovich Mergelyan: Brilliant mathematician, member of USSR's academy of sciences. Famous for important Mergelyan theorem in complex analysis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Nikitovich_Mergelyan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mergelyan's_theorem

[karoaper]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Two on the board of trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton are Armenians:

VARTAN GREGORIAN
President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
New York, New York

MARTIN A. CHOOLJIAN
President, CH Capital Corporation
Princeton, New Jersey

http://www.ias.edu/About/trustees.php

IAS is of course the world's premier site for advanced scientific research in math, physics (including atomic), chemistry and others top fields, home to Einstein, John von Neumann (father of the computer and arguable biggest genius in the world), Kurt Gödel, etc.

[Sip]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Olvi Mangasarian: John von Neumann Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~olvi/

Have read some of his papers. In machine learning/pattern recognition and data mining this man is very very big.

Fully agree!

Got to mention Raymond Damadian who recently made a bunch of headlines when he wasn't named as one of the recipients for the MRI nobel prize.

And of course Professor Ann Karagozian at UCLA. It's amazing how capable and smart this lady is and she is also very influential and well known in her field (jet engines, combusion etc).

[Anonymouse]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Fully agree!

Got to mention Raymond Damadian who recently made a bunch of headlines when he wasn't named as one of the recipients for the MRI nobel prize.

And of course Professor Ann Karagozian at UCLA. It's amazing how capable and smart this lady is and she is also very influential and well known in her field (jet engines, combusion etc).

Does anyone know why Mr. Damadian was not given a nobel for that? Did someone else get the credit?

[alphacarbon]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

There was controversy surrounding the discovery of the MRI for many years. In fact, some speculate that the controversy is why it took so long for the Nobel Committe to award a Nobel Prize for the discovery.
(It was eventually awarded to Paul C Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield in 2003).

Dr. Damadian had a crucial role in the development of MRI in that he recognized that T1 and T2 can be used. This is what is being used in current MRI instruments. His critics would argue that his solution was incomplete and impractical, but in my view, he should have been acknowledged for his contribution nevertheless.

I suspect he did not receive the acknowlegement that he deserves, simple because he patented his discoveries (and started a company) rather than get involved in an "academic" pursuit of the technology.

History is full of people who never got their fair share of acknowledgment for their novel contributions. I am afraid Dr. Damadian has joined that group of scientists.

[Anonymouse]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Unfortunately he has, but so long as we know him and always tell the rest of him, that won't be the case.

[karoaper]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

http://www.fonar.com/nobel.htm

[TomServo]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Viktor Ambartsumian, Jack Kevorkian, Artem Mikoyan...

[alphacarbon]

Re: Famous Armenians in Science

Viktor Ambartsumian, Jack Kevorkian, Artem Mikoyan...

What is Dr. Jack Kevorkian's scientific contributions?