News

Michael Rettig Editor Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies Dr. Yektan Türkyılmaz developed an interest in records at an early age when his father brought home a gramophone. While a student at Duke University he became interested in the intellectual aspect of records and record production. “Records did not only have music on them, it was a global medium from ...

Suzanna Ekmekchyan Staff Writer To mark the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Students Organization organized the showing of “Architects of Denial,” followed by a candle-light vigil in the evening of Monday, April 23. The documentary “Architects of Denial,” directed by David Lee George and released in 2017, is not only an account about the Armenian Genocide, but ...

  Staff Report Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans was the keynote speaker opening the 6th Annual “Genocide Awareness Week” held at Scottsdale Community College, in Scottsdale, Arizona, April 9-14. Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian was also a guest speaker at the conference, speaking on “The Armenian Genocide Today,” on Tuesday, April 10, to students, ...

Staff Report This summer from June 4-June 15, Fresno State will host the Fresno Institute for Classical Armenian Translation (FICAT), founded by Fresno State Professor of Armenian Studies, Dr. Sergio La Porta, and Dr. Michael Pifer of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. FICAT builds upon the success of a five-week intensive seminar in Classical Armenian that Drs. La Porta ...

Thank You Donors Russell & Nina Adams                                                Fresno George & Mary Atashkarian                                     Moraga Mary Balakian                                                              Reedley Christine Darmanian                                                   Fresno Karl DeKlotz                                                                  Fresno Diana Boghosian Dorough                                         Fresno Paul Jamushian                                                           Fresno Mary Kachadoorian                                                    Clovis Georgia Malakian-Mickaelian                           ...

Staff Report Prof. Rebecca Barne’s Graphic Art 174 class undertook a project in Fall 2017 to design a poster, a mailer and a website, to mark the planned opening of the William Saroyan House Museum on August 31, 2018. Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian presented the project to sixteen students in the course. Der Mugrdechian returned to ...

David Safrazian Staff Writer Phaleristics, the study of awards, orders, and medals, is a bourgeoning area of research. Guest speaker Nika Babayan gave an in-depth look into this understudied topic in his presentation “Awards of Armenia and the Armenian Church” on Friday, January 19 at Fresno State. His presentation was the first in the Armenian Studies Program Spring Lecture Series. ...

Michael Rettig Editor The Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State has had a profound impact on its students in their efforts to better understand their heritage. The Program similarly strives to represent the Armenian community to the larger public. ASP Coordinator Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian accomplishes this by speaking to public community groups who are interested in learning about Armenian ...

Michael Rettig Editor The purpose of an education is, in part, to expand the students’ mind by allowing them to experience the views and perspectives of others. There is perhaps no better way to accomplish this than by studying abroad in a foreign country. Three students from the Armenian Studies Program, Cole Egoian, Stephen Gonzalez, and Yervand Boyajyan, were awarded ...

Staff Report Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian announced that the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation has made a donation of $100,000 to the Kooyumjian Endowed Scholarship Fund. This is in addition to an initial gift of $50,000 which established the Endowed Scholarship in 2018. Thomas A. Kooyumjian passed away in 1985 and his Foundation was established in ...