Chief Technologist, Integrated Systems Sector, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Harry Armen is chief technologist in the Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare Systems business area of the Integrated Systems Sector at Northrop Grumman Corporation, a large U.S. defense contractor, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. He is responsible for the planning of research and development programs supporting strategic corporate goals.

Armen received his undergraduate degree in engineering education at the Cooper Union in New York. He joined Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation the same year he received a Sc.D. in engineering sciences from New York University. He began his work as a research scientist in the company’s Applied Mechanics Laboratory. In his initial work, Armen applied then-emerging finite element analysis methodologies to understand and predict the nonlinear behavior of complex, highly redundant aircraft structures. Much of his research and development work was supported by NASA, which in the mid-1960s was leading the U.S. space program, as well as developing technologies for vehicles capable of supersonic transport. Armen was soon appointed head of the Applied Mechanics Laboratory at Grumman.

Later, Armen headed the Structural Mechanics Group, which developed methods of analysis for the stability, damage tolerance and life prediction of metallic and composite structures. During his tenure as an engineering scientist, Armen has authored and co-authored more than 40 papers and reports on computational mechanics, fracture mechanics, and related topics in the area of applied mechanics. In 1993, Armen was selected as director of the Corporate Research Center of the Grumman Corporation. Subsequent to the formation of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, Armen served as director of the Technology Development organization until 2004.

Harry Armen is the 123rd president of ASME serving the 2004-2005 term. An ASME Fellow, Armen has served the society in a number of leadership positions during his 22-year affiliation.

As an ASME Congressional Fellow, Armen worked in the office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman, of New Mexico, and assisted on the formulation and implementation of the multi-agency Technology Reinvestment Project.

A recipient of the Certificate of Recognition Award from NASA and the Founder’s Day Award from New York University, Armen is a licensed professional engineer in New York State. In addition to his ASME experience, he has served as member and chair of the Advisory Committee of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation and the Advisory Board of the International Technology Education Association.