Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Chris Tozlian
staff writer
There is a new face within the Armenian Studies Program for the Fall 2003 semester: Dr. Barbara Merguerian, CSU Fresno’s 3rd Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies. Dr. Merguerian is teaching Armenian Studies 120T , The United States and the Armenians, 1800 to the Present. The course deals with the impact of American missionaries in Armenia, United States foreign policy toward Armenia, and the effect of Armenian immigration within the United States. The class is offered on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM and there are approximately 20 students in the class.
Dr. Merguerian said that the class has been a success, with a diverse student base made up of both Armenians and non-Armenians, and an age range from 20 to 75. Furthermore, to Dr. Merguerian’s knowledge, this is the first Armenian Studies class with this specific focus ever to be offered in the United States.
Though this is Dr. Merguerian’s first stay in Fresno since her childhood, she compared the sensation with that of growing up in Rhode Island amidst a small Armenian community. Dr. Merguerian received her Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University in International Relations and then attended Harvard University, where she received both her Master’s Degree and her Ph.D. in History. Though teaching Armenian history in Fresno, Dr. Merguerian’s area of expertise lies in modern Russian history, even writing her doctoral dissertation on political ideas during the rule of Peter the Great.
Dr. Merguerian has taught at a number of institutions, including Tufts University in Massachusetts and Yerevan State University in Armenia. While at Tufts, one of her classes focused on modern Armenian history. Dr. Merguerian remarked though Tufts offered Armenian studies courses taught by fine professors, the program is not nearly as large as the Armenian Studies Program at CSU Fresno, the country’s largest undergraduate program.
Dr. Merguerian’s recent teaching at Yerevan State University was made possible by the CEP (Civic Education Program). While there, she taught two classes, one dealing with International Relations and the other with Women’s Studies. Dr. Merguerian said that the students in Yerevan are very bright; the problem they face is a lack of school supplies. There students do not own textbooks, forcing her to photo-copy the texts for the students. Another problem at Yerevan State University is that students may not take courses that are not part of their major; as a result, many students were unable to enroll in Dr. Merguerian’s classes. Still, Dr. Merguerian said her time in Armenia was a fantastic experience.
Currently, Dr. Merguerian is continuing her work on American missionaries within the 19th century Ottoman Empire and also on Armenian women’s studies. In regard to Armenian Women’s studies, Dr. Merguerian admits that little has been published, yet she has been the co-editor of two books composed of articles on this subject. Dr. Merguerian is also a co-founder of the Armenian International Women’s Association, in which she remains active as the head of the Information Center and Archives. Dr. Merguerian will also be very active within the university, as she will be delivering three public lectures during this Fall semester as the Kazan Visiting Professor, on the general topic: “The Armenian Question in United States Foreign Policy.” The first talk will take place on Tuesday, October 22nd at 7:30 PM on the specific topic “The Impact of the American Missionaries.”
The addition of Dr. Merguerian to the Armenian Studies Program this semester will greatly benefit both students and the community at large through the expertise that she brings with her to the classroom.