News

Careen Derkalousdian Staff Writer On Friday, March 3, 2023, Dr. Taner Akçam, director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program at The UCLA Promise Institute, presented his new findings regarding the first decision to eradicate the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century. The lecture, “The First Decision of the Armenian Genocide and the Role ...

Staff Report Dr. Christina Maranci, Mashtots Chair of Armenian Studies at Harvard University, gave the inaugural Grace and Paul Shahinian Armenian Christian Art Series on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Fresno State. Her talk was on “Armenia Art: Current Directions and Future Goals” and was held at the Smittcamp Alumni House on the Fresno State campus. A reception took place ...

Staff Report It is common to hear the exciting announcement of students graduating from Fresno State with a degree in biology, business, engineering, or nursing. Andrew Hagopian, however, decided on a different path, becoming the first student at Fresno State to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Armenian and Middle Eastern Studies. With the help of advisor Prof. Barlow ...

Natalie Agazarian Editor Tasting grandpa’s fresh apricots and black plums, playing the tunes of childhood on grandma’s old piano, walking past the water fountain by an all too familiar route – “Back to Ashtarak” is a documentary film brimming with nostalgia. It is a compilation of archival and recent footage, with unique animation that captivates the audience through its depiction ...

Staff Report Award-winning journalist and director of the documentary film “Motherland,” Vic Gerami, was a guest of CineCulture and the Armenian Studies Program on Friday, April 14, 2023. Gerami interacted with a virtual audience of students and community members, who posed a variety of interesting questions regarding the movie. CineCulture Professor Mary Husain moderated the discussion, together with Prof. Barlow ...

Staff Report A team of USC Institute of Armenian Studies staff, including Dr. Lilit Keshishyan, Manuk Avedikyan, and Brandan Balayan, visited Fresno State on Monday, March 13, 2023 to speak to students and faculty about the Institute’s “My Armenian Story” oral history project. The two-year project involves conducting oral interview with Armenians throughout California, to “dis-cover and record individual journeys.” ...

Staff Report The Armenian Studies Program, Fresno State, the St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Scottsdale Community College (SCC) hosted a one-day workshop “Teaching About Genocide-The Armenian Genocide: A Case Study,” on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Twenty-two teachers from the local area participated in the workshop which featured several presentations. SCC Professor of Anthropology Dr. Lisa Marsio ...

Natalie Agazarian Editor Armenian 148, Masterpieces of Armenian Culture, is a general education course taught by Dr. Hagop Ohanessian. The class is designed to delve into various forms of Armenian literature and art through distinct periods in Armenian history. It fulfills upper division Area IC of the Fresno State General Education requirements and is a required course for completing the ...

Natalie Agazarian Editor “The sound of the music, the lights, the atmosphere… you find yourself singing along to every word, dancing with the people around you. Other times, you are just standing in awe, taking it all in. It’s a feeling of being completely immersed in the moment, and nothing else matters except the music and the experience,” said Michael ...

Staff Report Dr. Armen Sargsyan, Rector of Artsakh State University and Dr. Saúl Jiménez Sandoval, President of California State University, Fresno signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 7, 2022. The MOU outlined the possible ways in which Artsakh State University and Fresno State could develop and carry out collaborative research and education activities that are desirable, mutually beneficial, ...