Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
Barlow Der Mugrdechian was appointed Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program and Director of the Center for Armenian Studies at Fresno State and began his duties in the Fall semester, having responsibility to coordinate the Program’s activities and to administer the Program’s community outreach. He has been with the Program for the past twenty-four years, teaching a variety of courses in the areas of language, literature, art, culture, and history.
Der Mugrdechian received his M.A. and C. Philosophy degrees from UCLA, where he majored in Armenian Language and Literature through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures.
Der Mugrdechian is the author of the newly published Between Paris and Fresno: Armenian Studies in Honor of Dickran Kouymjian (Mazda Press, 2008), a Festschrift composed of forty-six articles from scholars throughout the world, dedicated to Dr. Kouymjian’s more than forty year career in Armenian Studies.
In 1996 Der Mugrdechian received the 1995-1996 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and in December of 2000, he was honored with an honorary Doctorate Degree from Yerevan State University. YSU President Dr. Radik Martirosyan bestowed the honor on him in Yerevan, Armenia.
In the summers of 1988, 1990, 2001, 2005 and 2007 Der Mugrdechian led the “Armenia Summer Study Program,” taking students to Armenia for an intensive series of coursework and classes, as well as interaction with students from Yerevan State University, and to travel to various parts of the country.
Der Mugrdechian has frequently traveled to Armenia and in 1991 he was instrumental in the establishment of a sister university link between Yerevan State University and California State University, Fresno.
From 2001-2004 Der Mugrdechian was President of the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS), the international organization composed of scholars and teachers involved in the study of the Armenians. He also was the editor for the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, Volume 12. From 1997-2003, he was editor of the SAS Newsletter, published three times a year. Currently he manages the SAS Secretariat, based in the Armenian Studies Program.
For the past twenty-four years he has been the advisor to the Armenian Students Organization on campus and advisor for the Hye Sharzhoom/Armenian Action newspaper, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.