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Christine Pambukyan Staff Writer On Sunday, March 26, 2023, the Armenian Studies Program held its 35th Annual Banquet at the Fort Washington Country Club in Fresno. The evening was dedicated to the establishment of the Ralph Shabazian Endowment in Armenian Studies and the Florence Elaine Hamparson Endowment in Armenian Studies. Banquet sponsors, donors, scholarship recipients, faculty, university administrators, and family ...

  Yesenia Fuentes and Benjamin Kirk Special to Hye Sharzhoom Florence Elaine Hamparson was known to have a big heart. As a third and fourth-grade teacher at Turner Elementary School, she was regarded as an impactful educator who loved her students. She had a lot of love for furry friends and was an avid square dancer. Strong in her Christian ...

Staff Report The Armenian Studies Program awarded scholarships to fifty-seven students from thirty-five different endowment or scholarship funds for a total of $90,000 for the academic year 2022-2023. In addition to providing needed financial support, the scholarships en-courage students to pursue Minors in Armenian Studies and to enroll in the various course offerings. We ask our students and our supporters ...

Hannah Paloutzian Staff Writer “Art symbolizes goodness,” said Yervant Gojabashian. “Painting, literature, and music awaken the beauty in the world, especially for the young generation and that brings about peace and love to the whole world.” On Thursday, April 13, 2023, the Armenian Studies Program held an opening reception for Armenian artist Yervant Gojabashian’s exhibition, “Gojabashian: Blessed Hands of the ...

Staff Report The 11th Annual “Genocide Awareness Week,” sponsored by the Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation, was held April 17-21, 2023, at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. “Genocide Awareness Week” is a series of lectures, exhibits, and storytelling by distinguished survivors, scholars, politicians, activists, artists, humanitarians, and members of law enforcement. This week-long event seeks to address how we, as ...

Benjamin Kirk Communications Specialist College of Arts & Humanities When the late Ralph Shabazian learned about the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State in early 2016, he knew he wanted to be a part of helping students explore their heritage to help share the Armenian story. Shabazian never learned the Armenian language. However, he had a keen interest in the ...

Staff Report The Armenian Studies Program announces the publication of The State of the Art of the Early Turkish Republic Period: Historiography, Sources and Future Directions, Volume 17 in the Armenian Series of The Press at California State University, Fresno. Edited by Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Ümit Kurt, and Ara Sarafian, The State of the Art of the Early Turkish Republic ...

Hannah Paloutzian Staff Writer “I am convinced that there is much more which unites Armenians today than that which separates us,” stated Dr. Dennis Papazian, in a speech given at the 70th Anniversary celebration of Armenian Independence, June 4, 1988, in New York City. On Thursday, February 23, 2023, Dr. Papazian and his wife, Dr. Mary Papazian, discussed his very ...

Natalie Agazarian Editor Hrair Hawk Khatcherian was born with an artistic eye, and he used that gift to travel to his homeland and capture its beauty, history, and character. His photos transcend the lens, portraying great emotions, harsh realities, and cultural depth. During a series of visits to Artsakh starting in 1988, Hawk compiled years of images into a book ...

Staff Report Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian announced that the Leon S. Peters Foundation has continued their generous support of the Armenian Studies Program with a grant of $30,000 for 2023. The Peters Foundation support for the Program over the past eleven years has reached $330,000. This continues the tradition of the Peters Foundation in supporting the ...