GTRI is proud to recognize Eric Grigorian, P.E., who has been elected to serve as the 2026 Vice President-Elect for IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA).

Grigorian currently serves as Chief of the Architecture & Systems Development Division within the Applied Systems Laboratory (ASL) at GTRI. With more than four decades of experience in the defense, aerospace, and R&D sectors, he has led major efforts in digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and open systems architecture (MOSA). He is also a licensed Professional Engineer and a longstanding leader in cross-organizational systems development.

"I have been fortunate enough to work with such great researchers at GTRI, as I have worked across labs and divisions in supporting our great sponsor base," said Grigorian. " My previous background with industry and current activities at GTRI have provided me with a great perspective working with industry and academia, and leadership traits enabled by IEEE have been a key factor throughout my career.”

His election to the IEEE MGA Vice Presidency marks the continuation of a strong volunteer leadership record. Grigorian currently serves as IEEE Region 3 Director (2024–2025) and previously held the position of Region 3 Director-Elect. His career of IEEE service spans conference leadership, technical committee involvement, and mentoring of engineers and early-career professionals.

"During my tenure as Region Director, I've been blessed with interacting with so many IEEE volunteers and staff who have supported me in the various roles as I served on the boards of IEEE, IEEE-USA, IEEE MGA, and on IEEE Audit Committee for 2 years," said Grigorian. "My activities with IEEE are not over yet, as I will be starting to support as Region 3 Past Director, Audit Committee Past Chair, and the new role as IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) VP-Elect."

As Vice President-Elect of MGA, Grigorian will enter a three-year leadership cycle: VP-Elect in 2026, Vice President in 2027, and Past VP in 2028. The MGA Board is responsible for supporting IEEE’s global membership, overseeing regional and geographic units, including Sections, Student Branches, local Chapters, and enhancing the experience of over 500,000 members worldwide. The IEEE MGA board plays a central role in enabling grassroots volunteer engagement, professional development, and regional representation in IEEE policy and programs.

Grigorian’s upcoming role reflects both his deep IEEE experience and the leadership qualities honed through his career, including his work at GTRI. His contributions to systems architecture and engineering excellence, along with his dedication to growing technical communities, exemplify how GTRI personnel work nationally and globally to improve the human condition and educate future technology leaders.

Please join us in congratulating Eric Grigorian on this honor and wishing him continued success as he supports IEEE’s mission and membership on a global scale and serves as an “ambassador” for GTRI.

Writer: Christopher Weems
GTRI Communications
Georgia Tech Research Institute
Atlanta, Georgia

About the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 3,000 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $919 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.