OAKLAND, California — Artin Der Minassians does not think in single transactions. Whether designing semiconductor systems for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry or deciding how to invest in Armenia’s future, his approach is to build something that lasts.
A supporter of the American University of Armenia (AUA) since 2014, Der Minassians began with an unrestricted gift before establishing his first scholarship the following year. Recently, that commitment has deepened with the establishment of the Artin Der Minassians Endowed Scholarship, which will support AUA students in perpetuity.
Artin, a technology executive with more than two decades of experience, has also spent a lifetime in music. In the conversation below, he reflects on his connection to Armenia, what it takes to lead in an AI-driven world, and why he believes investing in higher education is one of the most strategic things a diaspora Armenian can do.
Can you share a bit about your family background and your journey as a scholar and an entrepreneur?
I come from a family that placed a strong emphasis on education, discipline, and cultural identity. From kindergarten through high school, I attended Armenian schools in Tehran, where I was also an active member of the local Armenian community. From an early age, I was encouraged to pursue intellectual rigor and excellence, which shaped both my academic trajectory and my professional mindset. I consistently gravitated toward mathematics, physics, and engineering — disciplines that reward precision, systems thinking, and deep problem-solving.
Since graduating UC Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), I have spent over two decades at the intersection of advanced engineering and technology leadership, focusing on translating complex system-level challenges into deployable technologies. My work spans power systems, semiconductor design, advanced packaging, and full-stack hardware-software integration. Along the way, that work has earned recognition including top honors at Iran’s Khwarizmi Festival, the country’s most prestigious research award, and resulted in more than 20 patents.
Alongside engineering, I have maintained a parallel commitment to music. I have performed professionally both as a singer and as a choral conductor in the United States. This has been a meaningful counterbalance to my technical work and reflects a broader belief that engineering and the arts are deeply connected: they both require discipline, structure, and expressive precision.
How did your connection to the Armenian community shape who you are, and what does that engagement look like today?
My connection to the Armenian community has been foundational in shaping my identity and sense of responsibility. It instilled in me a deep appreciation for heritage, resilience, and the importance of contributing beyond individual achievement.
Today, my engagement spans cultural and educational dimensions. On the cultural side, I have supported Armenian musical initiatives and continued to engage with choral music as both a performer and conductor. On the educational side, I focus on long-term institutional impact, particularly through higher education, where I see the greatest leverage for shaping Armenia’s future in technology and innovation.
You have been an AUA scholarship supporter since 2014. What first drew you to the University and made you want to invest in it specifically?
What initially drew me to AUA was its ability to combine international academic standards with a mission deeply connected to Armenia’s development. It represents a rare institution that is both globally aligned and locally impactful.
I was particularly impressed by its emphasis on critical thinking, interdisciplinary education, and applied learning — qualities that are essential in engineering and technology fields. AUA is not only transmitting knowledge; it is developing the capacity to think, build, and lead in complex, real-world environments.
What drove your decision to move from annual scholarship support to establishing a permanent endowed scholarship?
Over time, my perspective shifted toward building systems that sustain impact over long horizons. Annual support is meaningful, but inherently time-bound. An endowed scholarship, by contrast, creates a permanent mechanism that continues to generate opportunity independent of any single donor’s timeline.
This aligns closely with how I think as an engineer. Robust systems are architected for longevity, resilience, and continuous output under changing conditions. An endowment reflects that same philosophy applied to the development of human capital.
The decision was therefore about creating durable impact, something that continues to support students and strengthen institutional capacity well into the future.
You have spent your career at the intersection of engineering and tech innovation. What mindset do you think AUA students need to lead in a world being reshaped by AI?
Leading in an AI-driven world requires understanding technology as a full-stack system rather than a single layer of software innovation.
Modern AI systems depend not only on models and algorithms, but on the underlying computing infrastructure that makes them possible. This includes processor architectures, memory hierarchies, interconnect and communication fabrics, power delivery and power management systems, thermal design, and ultimately data center-scale integration. The performance and scalability of AI systems are fundamentally constrained and enabled by these physical and architectural layers.
In my own work, I have focused extensively on these hardware and system-level challenges. At Empower Semiconductor, I helped build the world’s smallest and fastest integrated voltage regulator, a power management system three times smaller and a thousand times faster than competing designs. This work has culminated in a $1.5 billion acquisition by Analog Devices. Earlier, at Volterra Semiconductor, I worked on the world’s first solar optimizer chip, embedding power electronics directly into solar panels. My Ph.D. dissertation at UC Berkeley developed the world’s first multi-phase, low temperature-differential Stirling engine. Across these domains, the consistent theme is that breakthroughs occur when you treat engineering as an integrated system problem rather than isolated layers.
For students, the key mindset is therefore systems thinking, the ability to understand and optimize across hardware, software, and physics simultaneously. Equally important is adaptability, since the pace of change in AI and computing is accelerating rapidly. Finally, strong judgment, both technical and ethical, will define the next generation of engineering leaders.
For diaspora Armenians weighing how to give back, what would you tell them about why they should consider investing in higher education through AUA?
If the goal is meaningful, long-term impact, higher education is one of the highest-leverage areas of contribution, and AUA is uniquely positioned within that space.
Education compounds over time. Supporting a student is not a single act of assistance; it is an investment in future engineers, leaders, and innovators who will shape industries and institutions.
AUA, in particular, plays a critical role in developing human capital aligned with global standards while remaining anchored in Armenia’s national development. Supporting it is therefore not only philanthropic but a strategic investment in the country’s long-term technical and institutional capacity.
For diaspora Armenians, it is also one of the most direct and durable ways to contribute to Armenia’s future in a tangible, measurable form.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values. AUA’s Office of Advancement stewards the University’s philanthropic efforts exclusively for educational purposes.