Armenian Studies Program
Welcome to The Armenian Studies Program
The Armenian Studies Program was established in 1977 and the Center for Armenian Studies was founded in 1988. The Center provides an opportunity for students and faculty to interact and currently houses the Armenian Studies Program, the Sahatdjian Armenian Studies Library, the Avedian Armenian Studies Archives, the newspaper Hye Sharzhoom/Armenian Action, the Armenian Students Organization, and the Index of Armenian Art.
The Haig and Isabel Berberian Endowed Chair in Armenian Studies, established in the fall of 1988, is one of several Armenian Chairs in the United States and provides financial support for a distinguished Armenologist. The endowment honors Haig and Isabel Berberian and was established by their son-in-law and daughter, Dr. and Mrs. Arnold H. and Dianne Gazarian. Other friends of the Armenian Studies Program have made significant contributions to the endowment.
A Brief History of the Armenian Studies Program
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The Armenian Studies Lecture Series
"Armenian Women’s Daily Life in Transit and Concentration Camps (1915-1918)"
Dr. Anna Aleksanyan
Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies
Friday, March 6, 2026
7:00pm
University Business Center
5245 N Backer Ave.-Fresno State
co-sponsored by the Armenian Relief Society, Fresno Mayr Chapter
Free admission and free parking in Lot P6 or P5. Permits are not required.
Directions.
"Armenia in 2035: What it Can and Should Be"
Virtual Presentation
Sasoon Grigorian
author of "Smart Nation: A Blueprint for Modern Armenia"
Thurday, March 12, 2026
7:00pm
Zoom Registration Link: Sassoon Grigorian Lecture
Armenian Studies Program
38th Annual Banquet
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Tickets required.
More information available soon.
Save the Date.
The Fresno Film Premiere of
"Armenians, The Hidden Grandmothers"
A film by Alexandra Routhiau-Mikaélian
Friday, March 27, 2026
5:30pm
Leon S. and Pete P. Peters Educational Center Auditorium
5010 N Woodrow Ave (inside the Student Recreational Center)
Fresno State
co-sponsored by CineCulture
Free admission and free parking. Permits are not required.
The director Alexandra Routhiau Mikaélian, French of Armenian origin, made a promise
to her grandfather, to find the members of their family in Turkey based on a simple
name, Shahimé, this sister he was never able to meet. From this journey through time
in search of the living, Alexandra will lift the veil of one of the most deeply rooted
taboos in Turkish society, those for which you still risk your life.This story is
the stories of these millions of Armenians and Turks, those we call the « hidden Armenians
» or the « remnants of the sword » descendants of women and children converted and
forcibly integrated into the Turkish population during the Armenians genocide. For
the first time, we tell the missing stories of these women, victims of the genocide,
the Armenian grandmothers who passed on their stories by whispering.
Sergei Babayan-
Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts
Sunday, April 26, 2026
3:00PM
Fresno State Concert Hall
…unequaled touch, perfectly harmonious phrasing, and breathtaking virtuosity…”(Le Figaro, Paris)
Ralph Shabazian Endowed Armenian Memorial Fund Established with Gift of $700,000
Florence Elaine Hamparson Endowed Armenian Memorial Fund Established with Gift of $450,000
Armenian Genocide Monument Unveiled at Historic Ceremony
4,000 plus attended on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at Fresno State's Maple Mall
Photo by Paul Schlesinger, The Collegian
On Sunday, November 2, 2014 the Armenian Community of the San Joaquin Valley broke
ground on a Monument dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The event began at 2:30 p.m. and took place at the Fresno State Maple Mall, located
south of the Satellite Student Union.
For more information, go to Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee-Fresno.