Education
1978: MS in Physics, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia
1981 - 1984: PhD student in the Physics Department of the Yerevan State University and Institute of Mechanics Problems in Moscow

Academic degrees
In 1985: Ph.D. Thesis: “Coherent light interaction with orientational and hydrodynamical motions in liquid crystals”, Kiev State University, Kiev, Ukraine
In 1995: D.Sc. Thesis: “Orientational, light-induced hydrodynamic phenomena in liquid crystals and related optical nonlinearities”, Institute of Laser Technology, Yerevan, Armenia

Professional experience
Since 2018 up to present: Dean of Faculty of Physics, YSU
Since 2016 up to present: head of “Optoelectronics and Photonics” laboratory, Leading Researcher, SRIP, YSU
Since 2011 up to present: Senior Researcher, Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Co., 1300 Lee Road, Orlando, FL 32810
2007 - 2012: Head of Chair of Optics (CO), Faculty of Physics, YSU
2000 up to present: Professor, head of research group, OC, FP, YSU
1993 - 2000: Associate Professor, CO, FP, YSU
1986 - 1993: Senior Researcher, CO, FP, YSU
1982 - 1986: Junior Researcher, CO, FP, YSU

Research experience
2008: Visiting researcher Laboratoire Matériaux Optiques, Photonique et Systèmes (LMOPS), University of Metz and Supelec, France
2008: University of Lens, France
2002, 2004: Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurement Corporation, Orlando, FL, USA
2001, 2003: Laval University, Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Optics, Quebec, Canada
1993: Institute of Applied Physics, Darmstadt, Germany
1987: University of Yena, Germany

Academic courses thought
The physics of optical phenomena
Introduction in nonlinear physics
Nonlinear optics and laser physics
Linear and nonlinear dynamics of light field
The physics of liquid crystals
Hydrodynamics of liquid crystals
Nonlinear optics of liquid crystals

Supervision of MS studies
Since 1985 more than 100 MS students some of them now are studying or working in USA, Canada, Japan, UK, France, German, Greece and others

Supervision of PhD studies
“The study of the peculiarities of spectral compression and self-compression of regular and randomly modulated pulses” – Armine Grigoryan, 2017
“Laser-induced thermomechanical effects in nematics” – Artur Alexanyan, 2013
“The laser emission interaction with defect containing periodic structured liquid crystals” - Karen Allahverdyan, 2012
“Investigations of orientational optical nonlinearity in liquid crystals conditioned by thermomecha-nical mechanism” – Gevorg Gevorgyan, 2011
“Laser – induced thermomechanical phenomena and new mechanism of strong orientational optical nonlinearity” - Jafar Poursamad Bonab, 2009
“The peculiarities of anisotropic diffraction gratings” – Gegham Zakharyan, 2008
“Dynamics of photo-polymerization phenomena and diffraction structure formation in composites of polymer dispersed liquid crystals” – Arayik Aslanyan, 2008
“The formation and peculiarities of diffraction gratings in photopolymer dispersed liquid crystalline materials” – Artur Galstyan, 2004
“Experimental study of thermomechanical phenomena in nematic liquid crystals”-Emin Santrosyan, 2000

Professional interests
Nonlinear optics, light-induced hydrodynamics and thermomechanics of liquid crystals, optofluids, Jones matrix methods in optics and diffraction grating in polymer dispersed liquid crystals, liquid crystalline elastomers

Principal achievements / contributions
Conservation laws and integration of the equilibrium equation of liquid crystals
Orientational instability of liquid crystal at hydrodynamical flows
Orientational optical nonlinearity near the non-optical instabilities
Laser induced hydrodynamics and hydrodynamical nonlinearities
Thermomechanical effects in deformed nematics
Anisotropic Diffraction Holograms Recorded in Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals

Participation in grant projects
ECO-NET Projet: 21310WD 2009, ECO-NET Projet: 18843TM 2008
2003 - 2011: NATO Grant - SfP 978027
2002 - 2004: CRDF CGP grant number AP2 - 2302 - YE - 02
1997 - 1998: INTAS 97 - 1672
1993: Short - term research grant of International Science Foundation
1994 - up to date: - Armenian Grant
1993: Grant of Armenian professional society in USA

Languages
Armenian, Russian, English

Organizing of international conferences
Chairman of organizing committee of the 14th International Topical Meeting on “OLC 2011” (25 September – 1 October, Yerevan, Armenia, 2011)
Guest editor of the Proceedings of the 14th International Topical Meeting on Optics of Liquid Crystals, OLC 2011
Co - chairman of organizing committee of the Young Optician School (2-7 May, Yerevan, Armenia, 2007)
Secretary of the First International Congress of Armenian Physicists (11-15 September, Yerevan, Armenia, 2005)

Membership
Since 1996: 049 PhD and doctor of science Committee Member,
Since 2011: member of American Optical Society (OSA)

Awards received
Diploma of the National Academy of Armenia

rhakob@ysu.am