Robert Melikyan

Robert is a rising senior at Ithaca College on track to receive a B.S. in Physics by May of 2020. Raised in rich background of musical theatre, dance, and vocal performance, Robert is uniquely capable in communication, flexibility, enthusiasm, leadership, and dependable performance when it most counts. At college, Robert immediately gravitated towards positions of leadership, becoming the youngest treasurer of Ithaca College’s historic all-male acappella ensemble during his freshman year. During his junior year, Robert’s focus shifted towards using his leadership for the betterment of the Ithaca College SPS chapter. Since being selected as the treasurer, Robert has ensured the full funding of 12 students to attend this year’s annual APS March Meeting, along with successfully planning, funding, and hosting a sincere and touching talk on “Diversity and Representation in STEM”. With more events to come this year, and his role as chapter president to come with next semester, Robert looks forward to encouraging an even more engaged and supportive physics community at Ithaca College with further opportunities for students to educate themselves and develop important technical skills outside of the classroom through workshops and department research projects. Personally, Robert’s research and career interests lie in aerospace. He is conducting his senior thesis research on non-gravitational forces in effect on asteroids, with the opportunity to continue this research at the head of operations for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission in Arizona this summer.