degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, and worked a series of jobs in engineering. He married his wife, Ani Manjikian, in 1997, and was naturalized as an American citizen in 2000. He received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. He contributed to the Space Shuttle Columbia Investigation Team and received the American Society for Nondestructive Testing Research Award for Innovation in 2005. He currently works for The Aerospace Corporation where he researches nondestructive testing. Book After returning to the United States, Shant Kenderian wrote about his adventures in Iraq. After he did a reading of his book on the radio show This American Life, his book was picked up by a publisher. References 1963 births Living people American people of Armenian descent Iraqi people of Armenian descent Iraqi emigrants to the United States