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Aris Melissaratos
Listen to this articleAris Melissaratos
Founder
ArMel Scientifics LLC
Technology guru Aris Melissaratos says that it’s his work mentoring and developing employees under his various leadership roles that has brought him the most career satisfaction.
“It’s been a phenomenal, fun ride,” he said.
In 1966, Melissaratos joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation and soon began work as its chief operating officer for defense electronics and aerospace. He left Westinghouse as its vice president of science and technology after 32 years with the company.
In 1998, he became Thermo Electron Corporation’s vice president of research and development. He also worked as CEO of Coleman Research Corporation, Thermo Coleman Corporation and Thermo Information Solutions.
In 2001, Melissaratos founded ArMel Scientifics, a technology incubation venture capital entity investing in more than 30 technology ventures. He also chairs the ArMel Scientifics Center for Technology and Public Policy and wrote “Innovation: The Key to Prosperity — Technology and America’s Role in the 21st Century,” which he considers a great accomplishment.
“I had a mentor a long time ago at Westinghouse who said that your career is not complete unless you spend time in academia, industry and government,” Melissaratos said. He spent 35 years in industry, 12 years in academia and four years in government.
Before retiring in June, he served as dean of the school of business and leadership at Stevenson University. He was Maryland’s secretary of business and economic development from 2003 to 2007, followed by a five-year post as director of Johns Hopkins University’s Technology Enterprise, where he advised college presidents on technology commercialization. He also served as secretary of business and economic development for Maryland’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), helping to bring 60,000 military jobs to the state.
Melissaratos earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Johns Hopkins and his master’s in engineering management from George Washington University.
