Dr. Adrin Gharakhani was the President and founder of Applied Scientific Research (ASR), an engineering consulting and scientific software development firm focusing on fluid dynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). He earned his MS in CFD from UC Irvine in 1985 and Sc. D. in CFD from MIT in 1995. During 1995-98, he was a Post-Doctoral Associate and Research Scientist at MIT. Adrin worked for seven years as project engineer for medical products at Pfizer and as member of technical staff researching rocket combustion at Rockwell International’s Rocketdyne Division. He has taught undergraduate and graduate engineering courses for three years. Dr. Gharakhani was the co-founder of the Armenian Student Association at George Washington University and at UC Irvine, an active member and two term executive committee member of the Armenia Alumni Association in LA, and active member of the Armenian Engineers & Scientists of America, and a one term executive committee member of the Iranian Armenian Association of Boston. He has been on the Board of ARPA for the past 25 years and was serving as the ARPA Vice President till the his early passing.
It was with profound and unimaginable sadness when we heard the passing of Dr.Adrin Gharakhani.
A most dedicated and true Armenian who worked diligently to help Armenians and the Armenian cause. It is a great loss for the Armenian community in general and the young Armenian scientists in particular.
He was a very dedicated member of ARPA for over 25 years and very difficult to accept that ARPA Institute has lost one of its most dedicated and true patriotic members.
Of course the loss is even harder for his beloved family and friends. He will be greatly missed at ARPA Institute Board Meetings and especially the critiquing of the Invention Competitions for Young Scientists of Armenia. His deep analyses, meticulous evaluations, comparisons with similar inventions, critical thinking, creativity, and profound knowledge was invaluable.
I have known Adrin from my early years when we both worked for Rocketdyne. As a founding member of the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America I would put together material for the AESA Newsletter and give it to him. He would spend a lot of time and meticulously go through and correct any spelling errors and that the sentences and the meanings sounded right, the pictures were clear, and the Newsletter was overall presentable. Furthermore, he would print, fold, and bring them to me for distribution and mailing.
In the next phase in his life he obtained a D.Sc. degree in fluid dynamics from MIT, one of the most difficult majors and one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
I founded the ARPA Institute in 1992 to help resolve some of the critical issues in newly independent Armenia, and had been working with experts on the constitution, also trying to establish the first modern Blood Bank and teach students health education and lifestyle. After his gradution from MIT, Adrin joined the ARPA Institute and was elected Vice president. Ever since he has been tremendously helpful in almost every project and event organized by ARPA.
I have learned a lot from Adrin, he was bright, meticulous, and sharp as anyone could be. I can say for sure that I am a better person because I have known Adrin, worked with him, and had him as a friend, colleague, and a scientist. We worked together for over 25 years, and it was a joy working with him, for he always knew how to simplify and resolve issues especially when they were complex. He would never give up, even if it took him a long time to complete a task. Nevertheless, he knew how to infuse fun into the most mundane tasks.
During the ARPA Institute’s 30th Anniversary he was always there to help revamp the ARPA website, evaluate the inventions, work on the ARPA Newsletter, provide guidance and advice to scientists in Armenia on how they should write grant proposals, articles for technical journals and even technical reports, until the last days of his precious life. Here is an excerpt from a scientist in Armenia with whom Adrin was working on a very important project, which could provide a turning point for the medical imagery:
Հազար ափսոս կորցրինք Ադրինին։ Ադրինի հետ պայմանավորվել էինք իրականացնել Հայ-Ամերիկյան նախագիծ, որի արդյունքում պիտի մշակվեր ժամանակի չափման նոր տեխնոլոգիա։ Մենք ոգեվորված էինք։ Ադրինը անշահախնդիր նվիրված էր այդ գաղափարին, սակայն հիվանդությունը խանգարեց մեզ սկսել այդ ուղղությամբ աշխատանքները։ Նույնիսկ ծանր հիվանդ վիճակում Ադրինը օգնեց մեզ ստեղծել մրցողունակ նախագիծ և ներկայացնել Չան-Զուկերբերգի ֆոնդին։ Ես կորցրեցի իմ սիրելի եղբայրը։
I have always wondered why he was so deeply saddened and even depressed when Armenia/Artsakh lost the 44-day war perpetrated by Azerbaijan and Turkey. I believe that it is no coincidence that he passed away on November 9, the exact same day anniversary when the cease fire was signed. It shows how patriotic and compassionate an Armenian he was. His feelings were as strong as his patriotism and his compassion.
This is a time for mourning but it is more a celebration of the wonderful life of a person who has touched so many lives, has helped numerous young men and women and made us all better persons. We will always remember his expressive smile, wonderful sense of humor, strong criticisms of things wrong and his compassion and love for Armenia, Armenians, and his loved ones. May his memory give us strength to continue and contribute more, work harder, be better persons and help those in need.
The ARPA Institute Board of Directors has decided to name the ARPA Institute $5000 and $1000 Invention Competition Awards in his name, The Adrin Gharakhani Awards.
