ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Verus Research has a team of carefully selected scientists and engineers working on high-powered microwave technology, among other projects, and they will go to great lengths to cultivate and keep that talent within the borders of New Mexico.
Over the past year, Artem Kuskov has found a promising career path within the walls of Verus Research. The 32-year-old engineer originally set out to become a computer programmer. “It was just not a, not a pleasant experience,” says Kuskov. “So I wanted to do something with my hands. I wanted to not search for little bugs in the code. If something didn’t work, I wanted to see it. Why? It didn’t work. And, you know, snap it in half if, if I could, if to make it work. I decided to go into engineering.”
Kuskov first came to the United States as a foreign exchange student in high school. A native of Kyrgyzstan, he had little knowledge of the Land of Enchantment before coming to study.
“Whenever I found out that I was going to New Mexico, I looked up from what is New Mexico, and I just saw pictures of just desert and nothing. Just one big city, I didn’t know I was going to Albuquerque. First, I thought, oh, I’m like, oh my God, I’m going to be living somewhere on the onion field. You know, just like in the desert with nothing,” says Kuskov.
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His tune changed when he arrived, quickly falling in love with his host family and the southwest. He came to America through a J-1, or student, Visa after graduating high school, he began his undergraduate career at UNM where he met a man who would change his life forever; distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, Edl Schamiloglu.
“Artem was, immediately recognized as having a lot of talent, being super useful, and beneficial in the lab,” says Kuskov. His undergraduate career in the classroom and the lab developed one of two pivotal relationships for his life in America, the first with Edl.
“Whenever I was in graduate school, there was a master’s program. I was doing swing dancing for a while. This was my way to discharge and unload and, you know, essentially just like, turn off my brain and just go dance my shoes off and essentially just have fun and in 2014, I met my now wife. There we kind of hit it off,” he says.
The two were married a few short years later, but the honeymoon period was soon met with uncertainty. “This is the first time when I got reminded of the two-year rule that I would have to go back because I said it was if it was not even on my mind,” says Kuskov.
The J-1 student visa has a mandatory caveat, the student must return to their home country for at least two years before they can seek citizenship in America. Facing the looming requirement to return to Kyrgyzstan, Artem and his new bride sought legal advice, but were told there was nothing he could do.
“I was devastated, to say the least. My wife was devastated. I was trying to work out a plan of maybe I can work here still, but remotely, from just go on home,” he says.
So, he went to the only other person he knew could help; his longtime mentor, Edl Schamiloglu. “So, I arranged, to get five letters of support that, attested to the fact that Artem is a person of unusual ability, extraordinary skills, and would be beneficial to the United States,” says Schamiloglu.
The five letters came from prestigious sources including the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, a top scientist with AFRL, and Tony Byers, founding CEO of Verus Research. “He’s strong in that theoretical background needed. He’s strong in the virtual prototyping. And he’s also exceptionally strong when it comes to experimental work. And that’s the package you’re looking for. That’s the dream package,” Schamiloglu says.
Artem is one of many brilliant minds Verus has championed throughout the years, according to the company. They take recruitment and retention of talent very seriously. They knew they had a home for Artem if they could secure his immigration status. After submitting the letters and applying for the waiver, they waited nearly two years before they had their answer.
“I finally got the waiver and after this, finally got the green card through the marriage, which was just very, very wonderful and a happiest day that I had,” said Kuskov.
“I cannot even express my gratitude to the people that were advocating for me, the people who stood in support. I am [a] very, very lucky person,” he says.
Artem and his wife welcomed their first child, Adler, a year ago. Adler is a city in Russia and it also means “eagle” in German.
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