Sastic

“People behind SASTIC”
Meet our next member Arpine Kozmanyan.

I was born and raised in Armenia, with an early curiosity about how the universe works. This led me to study physics and astrophysics across Europe, including at Oxford and later in Rome, where I completed my PhD. Along the way, I realized that “understanding the universe” largely meant working with complex data-so the transition into Data Science felt quite natural. I moved from analysing data from space to analysing data from vehicles, industrial equipment, and manufacturing processes-same mindset, just more down-to-earth applications (and generally fewer black holes). As the field evolved, so did my role.
Today, as an AI engineer I am defining data and AI strategies and building practical AI solutions across industries.
Why I joined SASTIC
After the 2020 war, staying passively connected to Armenia no longer felt sufficient -I wanted to contribute more actively, even in small ways. I discovered SASTIC somewhat by chance, and what stood out immediately was its balance between structure and community. Despite being driven by voluntary contributions, it operates with discipline and clear processes. Joining SASTIC has given me the opportunity not only to contribute, but also to learn from individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives-something I value, especially coming from a more narrowly focused technical environment.

Fun fact
I have a deep appreciation for culture, especially the everyday kind-the food, the stories, and the small rituals. This is how Cooking with Nene (https://www.instagram.com/cookingwithnene/) was born, a project I co-host with my friend, author, writer, and recipe developer Lena Tashjian. Together, we document Armenian culinary traditions through videos featuring grandmothers who are, frankly, far better at both storytelling and quality control than any AI system I’ve worked with. Training a neural network and making tolma both require patience-but only one comes with immediate, edible results (and gentle but firm supervision). We plan to premiere our series this autumn-feel free to follow along to stay updated!