Society for Armenian Studies Holds 39th Annual Meeting at MESA in New Orleans

Staff Report

Armenian Studies Program faculty, Professors Barlow Der Mugrdechian and Sergio La Porta, traveled to New Orleans, October 10-13, to participate in the Middle East Studies Association’s (MESA) 47th Annual Meeting, as well as the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) 39th Annual Meeting.

The Society for Armenian Studies, the professional association that represents scholars and teachers in the field of Armenian Studies, meets annually in conjunction with MESA. Prof. Der Mugrdechian is the Treasurer of the SAS and manages the SAS Secretariat, and Prof. La Porta is editor of the Journal
of the Society for Armenian Studies and an ex-officio member of the SAS Executive Council.

There were 285 panels and workshops during the three-day MESA conference, organized in a variety of disciplines and fields that included some with an Armenian topic or theme. Among these were several panels sponsored by the SAS, including a panel on “Recapturing Armenian Ottomanism Through a Man of Tanzimat: The Ottoman Life of Bishop Mkrtich Khrimian,” organized by Dzovinar Derderian (University of Michigan); a panel on “Armenian Art and Architecture in 18th-20th Century Constantinople: A Re-Evaluation,” organized by Prof. Der Mugrdechian; a roundtable on “New Strategies and Methodologies for Teaching of Modern Armenian Language,” organized by Ani Kasparian (University of Michigan) and chaired by Prof. Der Mugrdechian; and a roundtable on “Challenging Entrenched Categories: Re-Thinking Approaches to Armenian Literature,” organized by Tamar Boyadjian, with the participation of Dr. La Porta.

Other panels were held with scholars participating from many different parts of the world.

Reports of ongoing projects and also future plans were presented at the SAS Annual Membership meeting. In 2014 SAS will mark its 40th anniversary with an Armenian Studies Conference in Yerevan, to be held jointly with the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

A new SAS website has been launched, societyforarmenianstudies.com, with many new features for members, including a directory and access to past issues of the SAS Newsletter. Those who are interested in joining the SAS can go to the website and apply for membership. There are several categories of membership including supporting.

The SAS Secretariat is based in the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno States and inquiries about membership can also be made by email at barlowd@csufresno.edu or by phone at 559-278-2669.