OUR TEAM

Caro Minas founded AES in 1985 after working with a number of major national and international engineering firms for 12 years. He received his BS (’75) and MS (’76) degrees in civil and geotechnical engineering, respectively, from California State University, Los Angeles. In addition to his extensive experience in California and Nevada, he has conducted major investigations for nuclear power plants, harbors, industrial complexes, and gas distribution projects in the Persian Gulf area. Today he is one of the foremost geotechnical engineers in the LA area and oversees all engineering operations at AES. In his spare time Caro likes to travel, and play tennis.

Shant Minas is the principal engineering geologist and managing director of AES. As part of his tasks, he oversees all field exploration, conducts detailed geologic investigations, and prepares reports and geologic maps. From the time he joined AES in 2003 he has been largely responsible for continued innovation and augmentation of AES’s growing list of services offered, including methane testing and mitigation design, percolation testing, feasibility studies and design for septic systems, water quality testing, fault studies, deputy inspection, and environmental investigations. He is licensed as a Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, and a Project Management Professional. In addition to his primary expertise as an engineering geologist, Shant also has a broad academic as well as an experiential background in environmental hydrogeology and holds degrees in economics and financial mathematics from USC. He served honorably in the US Army with an overseas tour in Korea, was the Chair of the Association of Engineering Geologists’ SoCal section from 2015-2017, and is also a part-time professor of Engineering Geology at CSULA. Shant is also a licensed engineering contractor (ArroyoGeo.com) specializing in Environmental Mitigation systems. His hobbies include mountain biking, writing, and guitar.

Lilian has been the office manager at AES since 2012. She is a TUV certified ISO 9002 (International Standard Organization for Management) auditor, and a Landmark Education graduate in the “Team Management & Leadership” program and the “Communication” courses. She has earned her B.A. degree in Language Art & German-Farsi Translation from Azad University in Tehran – Iran.  She is also a musician, music educator, and the choir conductor at Homenetmen’s Ararat chapter since 2014.

Dalar is an experienced financial auditor with experience in different sectors. She moved to the US in Spring 2019. Before joining AES, she worked as a senior auditor in KPMG Armenia (one of big four accounting firms) and she is certified auditor from Ministry of Finance of Armenia.

Dalar graduated with MBA degree from American University of Armenia (2014) and Bachelor of Economics from Shahid Beheshti University (2011). She volunteered as a scout couch in Armenian Cultural Sipan Society in Tehran, Iran.

She enjoys travelling and discovering new places.

Mr. Hayrikian has more than 10 years of experience in the field of geotechnical engineering. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic University, Pomona in 2012. Marshall joined the AES team in the summer of 2014 as a staff/field engineer. Prior to joining AES, Marshall has had several years of experience working with different sized engineering companies in both the public and private sector, including a stint at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and private firms in Los Angeles, Orange County and Austin, Texas. He has worked on the design & construction of a variety of infrastructure projects ranging from buildings, dams/reservoirs, roadways, bridges, tunnels, wind turbines and nuclear power plant assessments. At AES, Marshall’s responsibilities include engineering analysis, project management, inspections/observations and writing technical reports. Marshall is a licensed professional engineer in the State of California and a Deputy Grading Inspector for the City of Los Angeles. In his spare time, Marshall enjoys playing and watching sports, hiking/mountaineering, as well as traveling.

Reza has been employed as a staff engineer for AES since 1994. He received his BS degree in civil engineering from Fresno State University and holds certificates in environmental engineering. Reza is a seasoned veteran in field inspections, including grading, shoring, and deputy work. He also holds certificates in wastewater treatment, hazardous materials, and environmental biology. Reza provides consultation and advice and mentorship to younger field engineers, and routinely oversees all AES field observation and testing programs during course of construction. Reza is a Registered Deputy Grading Inspector and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Fereidoun “Fred” joined AES in October 2019. He writes soils reports. He graduated with a PhD degree in environmental Engineering from USC. He has worked at LA County Department of Public Works’ various divisions such as Geotechnical and Materials Division performing windshield survey, roadway inspection, pavement design, review of geotechnical reports; Design Division bridge retrofitting projects; Traffic and Lighting geometric design; Watershed Management Division participated in total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation, participated in stormwater best management practices (BMPs) implementation, compared BMPs removal effectiveness using stormwater quality sampling and analysis.

Sevada joined the AES team in June of 2017 after graduating with a Master of Science degree in Civil & Geotechnical Engineering from California State University, Los Angeles. He migrated to Los Angeles from Tehran, Iran in 2000 and opened an Italian Restaurant called Georgie’s Cucina with his father, and helped manage the restaurant during his college years. Sevada’s responsibilities within the company include field observations, compaction testing, running percolation tests, drilling, logging, and sampling. He is currently working on obtaining his ICC & Deputy Grading Inspector licenses. In his free time, Sevada enjoys watching & making movies, camping, and hiking.

Suresh joined the AES team in 2013, working as a designer for methane barrier, de-watering, and waterproofing systems, as well as inspecting passive and active methane mitigation and waterproofing systems for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. He received his Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from the Institution of Engineers in India, and worked at numerous companies in Nepal before moving to the United States to further his career. He is a Registered Deputy Inspector for Methane Barrier Systems, as well as a Certified Inspector for Waterproofing and Methane Barriers. He also holds an Engineering-In-Training License from the California State Board for Professional Engineers.

Christopher earned his M.S. in Applied Geoscience from the University of Washington (Seattle) in 2016 after completing a B.S. in Geology at Portland State University in 2014. He joined AES in the summer of 2018 as a project geologist with nearly 10 years of experience in environmental and engineering geology. Christopher’s responsibilities include conducting Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, hillside geotechnical investigations, and fault studies. He is an active member of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists. In his off time, you will find Christopher exploring the many mountains and beaches of southern California.

Toufic (Ted) graduated with a degree in Geology in 2013 from the University of California Northridge. He also holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California Fullerton. He got his first practical experience performing lab soil testing along with field soil inspections. He holds a soils special inspector license from the International Code Council (ICC), a Deputy Grading Inspector License, and is a certified Nuclear Gauge safety handler. Ted is currently putting his educational background to use more effectively by juggling between the geology and environmental scope of work at AES, which includes conducting hillside field explorations and project management to environmental phase I assessment. His hobbies include motorcycling during the weekends and he is an avid aviation enthusiast with plans to earn his private pilot license.

Wahick (Vince) joined AES in 2013 as a staff geologist & AutoCAD drafter. He earned his B.S. in Geology in 1992 from University of Tehran. Wahick worked as a geologist in different dam construction companies back in Iran before coming to USA in 1999. He got his AS in Architectural Design from Glendale Community College and a certificate in Construction Inspection from Pasadena City College. Wahick is a registered Deputy Methane Barrier Inspector in the City of Los Angeles. He also has years of experience working as a designer & drafter in various architectural & structural engineering offices in Los Angeles.

Toufic (Ted) graduated with a degree in Geology in 2013 from the University of California Northridge. He also holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California Fullerton. He got his first practical experience performing lab soil testing along with field soil inspections. He holds a soils special inspector license from the International Code Council (ICC), a Deputy Grading Inspector License, and is a certified Nuclear Gauge safety handler. Ted is currently putting his educational background to use more effectively by juggling between the geology and environmental scope of work at AES, which includes conducting hillside field explorations and project management to environmental phase I assessment. His hobbies include motorcycling during the weekends and he is an avid aviation enthusiast with plans to earn his private pilot license.

Austin has been working with AES since September, 2008. Austin is currently pursuing a degree in Geography at Pasadena City College. He currently holds a certificate From PCC in Construction Inspection, and recently obtained his Deputy Grading Inspector license in 2017. Due to his love of being outdoors, Austin spends most of his time on the field performing percolation tests, field inspections prior to construction, and installing methane probes. In his free time, Austin is involved in many extracurricular sports leagues, including softball and football. He also spends his weekends restoring classic cars.

Daniel received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from California State University Long Beach in 2019. He joined the AES team in August of 2019 as a field engineer. Some of Daniel’s duties include drilling, logging of boreholes, laboratory testing, field percolation tests, field observations, and methane monitoring well installation. He is currently working on obtaining his ICC & Deputy Inspector licenses. Daniel aims to get his master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering in the future. In his free time, Daniel enjoys camping, travelling, and hiking.

David joined Applied Earth Sciences in January 2016 as a soil technician, after deciding to shift his career choice toward Geologic Sciences. He assists the laboratory manager in various tasks, such as running the shear and consolidation tests and ASTM D-1557 Maximum Density Tests. He also assists in fieldwork, including methane probe installations, compaction testing & observations. He is currently studying for the ICC inspector exam, in addition to finishing an A.S. Degree at Pasadena College in Construction Inspection – Engineering and Industrial Technologies. David is also a professional musician, touring with various international singers around the world.

Greg studied finance at Cal State University, Los Angeles. He has over 10 years of experience in general construction specializing in residential projects and concrete work. He initially started at AES in 2017 doing field exploration work, hand augering, and test hole excavations. In 2019 he returned to AES, where he now works as a field technician, performing construction phase observations and compaction tests.

Artin previously worked at AES in 2011-12 for a major document digitization project, where we became fully digital and environmentally efficient. Artin graduated with a B.A in Music Industry studies from CSUN in 2016. He rejoined AES in 2017 as a soil technician, passed his GR exam and is currently studying for the ICC. He is proficient various field observations and compaction testing.