Doctor of Sciences (Engineering), Professor, Academician Mikayel G. Melkumyan (born on June 10, 1951) is a distinguished Armenian scientist and engineer specializing in earthquake resistant construction. After graduating from the Civil Engineering Department of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1973 he began researching the behavior of various reinforced concrete structures under seismic actions. Following the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake, Melkumyan focused on analyzing of structural failures and developing of innovative seismic isolation techniques. His research at the Institute of Industrial Science the University of Tokyo resulted in the “Melkumyan Hysteresis Model”, enhancing the understanding of shear behavior in structures. From 1992 through 1996 he was a teaching Professor at the College of Engineering of the American University of Armenia (AUA), giving lectures on non-linear behavior of reinforced concrete structures and design principles in earthquake resistant construction. He pioneered methods for retrofitting buildings by base isolation while keeping them operational. His patented technologies have been implemented in seismic isolation design for construction of new and retrofitting of existing buildings in Armenia, Russia, Romania, Peru, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. Melkumyan has authored 260 scientific works, including 21 books (6 monographs), 11 normative documents, codes, and standards, and 12 inventions. He is the president of the Armenian Association for Earthquake Engineering, CEO of the “Melkumyan Seismic Technologies” LLC, and has served on various international committees and editorial boards. His efforts have significantly advanced seismic engineering, positioning Armenia among the leaders in this vital field.