‘Innovation Processes and Cost Estimation of Small Space Systems’ with Dr. Mary Boghosian

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On October 1, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA)’s Dr. Mary Boghosian, Adjunct Professor in the College of Science & Engineering (CSE), gave a lecture on “Innovation Processes and Cost Estimation of Small Space Systems.” The presentation was part of a series of research seminars being organized by the College of Business & Economics, during which faculty present their research topics with the aim of sharing ideas and facilitating further research processes.

Dr. Boghosian’s lecture focused on how innovation processes lead to the development of new products and services in the space industry, for instance the development of new methodology for cost estimation of small satellites, where the cost of the system can be estimated as a function of its development process. Small satellites, also known as picosatellites or CubeSats, are cube-sized satellites deployed to orbit the earth for the purpose of short-term measurements from space.

Dr. Mary Boghosian holds a Ph.D. in “Physics of Magnetic Materials” from the London University, Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England, and an MBA in “Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship” from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Business School of Management and Technology in Troy, New York.  She also earned an MS and BS in Physics from the Basra University College of Science in Basra, Iraq. She recently relocated to Armenia and is working as an Adjunct Professor at AUA and at the California State University of Los Angeles. She is also a visiting professor at the Yerevan State University School of Journalism, initiating and teaching a postgraduate level course on the “Essentials of Creative Thinking.”

Previously, she spent 16 years working for NASA, and developed the first-ever cost estimation methodology for very small satellites (picosatellites and CubeSats). Dr. Boghosian is the author of more than forty publications and of two inventions on space related sensors and actuators. She is a recipient of several NASA technology achievement awards, and a member of several international professional organizations.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.