Fields MathematicsRocketry | Residence United States of America | |
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Institutions University of South FloridaUniversity of TexasHaigazian UniversitySt. George’s School Alma mater University of Texas at Austin (BA) | ||
Manoug Manougian is an Armenian scientist, professor, and considered the father of the Lebanese space program.
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Personal Life and Education
Manougian grew up in Jerusalem and was educated at St. George's School, Jerusalem. He studied mathematics and physics at the University of Texas.
Career
Manougian married in 1960 and went to Lebanon to become a teacher at Haigazian College.
Lebanese Space Program
He founded the Haigazian College Rocket Society in November 1960. With a very limited budget, the society launched a series of rockets to increasing altitudes. It received funding from the Lebanese government and became the Lebanese Rocket Society. He and his students finally launched a suborbital rocket in 1963. The Cedar IV rocket, launched on Lebanese independence day, 21 November 1963 from Dbayeh north of Beirut, reached 90 miles (140 km) and was featured on Lebanese stamps.
Teaching
He returned to the United States in 1966. Manougian completed a master's degree and doctorate at the University of Texas and continued his academic career in the Department of Mathematics at the University of South Florida. He is currently a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of South Florida. He is also acting as an adviser for the University's student Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry.
Views and Politics
As a member of the Armenian diaspora, he has been known to write editorials advocating awareness about the Armenian Genocide. He is also a co-author and associate producer of a 4-hour documentary called "The Genocide Factor: The Human Tragedy," that aired on PBS. In addition, he vehemently believes that rocketry and science should be pursued for solely peaceful means. Consequentially, he turned down multiple lucrative offers during his time in the Lebanese Rocket Society rather than let his work be used for military purposes.