COMMUNITY RAISES OVER $60,000 FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES AT UC IRVINE
Wednesday, December 17th, 2014
http://asbarez.com/130002/community-raises-over-60000-for-armenian-studies-at-uc-irvine/
Dr. Garo and Mrs. Sylvie Tertzakian hosted their seventh annual
fundraiser to support the Armenian Studies program at UC Irvine
IRVINE, Calif.--This past Sunday, Dr. Garo and Mrs. Sylvie Tertzakian
held their seventh annual fundraiser to support the Armenian Studies
program within the School of Humanities at UC Irvine. With generous
support from the community, the event raised over $60,000 to go
towards establishing an endowed chair of Armenian Studies.
Georges Van Den Abbeele, Dean of the School of Humanities, was present
to share his vision for the program, thank the Tertzakians and the
community for its continued support of the program and to invite
attendees to take action by supporting the $500,000 fundraising
challenge to meet the $1.5 million mark necessary to establishing an
endowed chair.
The establishment of an endowed chair in Armenian Studies has been a
commitment of the Armenian community in Orange County. With that goal
in mind, Drs. Vahe and Armine Meghrouni, benefactors of the Armenian
Studies Lecture Series, pledged $1 million this summer. In order
to meet the present $1.5 million endowment minimum for a faculty
chair, the UC Irvine School of Humanities is asking the community
to commit the remaining $500,000. With the funds raised from last
week's holiday fundraiser, the School of Humanities is on its way to
achieving this goal.
The School of Humanities is currently in an unprecedented position
to elevate the impact of chair endowments, including its proposed
endowed chair in Armenian Studies. In partnership with the University
of California Office of the President, UC Irvine Chancellor Howard
Gillman recently announced a one-time matching gift program to fund
endowed chairs at UC Irvine. For the first eight endowed chairs that
have signed donor agreements at the $1.5 million minimum, there will
be a $500,000 match to bring the endowed chair value to $2 million.
This pilot program is an exciting opportunity to elevate the level of
academic expertise that an esteemed chair can bring to a school and it
would be ideal to quickly capitalize on this unique opportunity. These
matching funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis,
and will no doubt be consumed quickly.
"Armenian studies has a central role to play in the humanities to
the extent that it is both focused on one people's traditions and
history and also opens up a much wider horizon of ethical, cultural,
intellectual and spiritual concerns that face all humanity," said Van
Den Abeele, dean of the School of Humanities. "It is, in a profound
way, both absolutely global and yet as local as our own southern
California community."
Established in December of 2007 under the leadership of history
professor Touraj Daryaee and assisted by the Tertzakians, Armenian
Studies at UC Irvine includes undergraduate coursework in ancient
and modern Armenian history. With financial support from Vahe and
Armine Meghrouni, the program also hosts a quarterly lecture series
that bridges historical and cultural topics surrounding modern day
Armenia to the broader Orange County community.
The School of Humanities is currently in discussion with the American
University of Armenia regarding a partnership on faculty, student and
research exchange, which would add incredible value and knowledge-share
to the Armenian Studies Program at UC Irvine.
To learn more about Armenian Studies at UC Irvine or about how to
support the endowed chair, please reach out to Marijana Lekousis,
Interim Director of Development, at [email protected] or 949-824-1342.
Wednesday, December 17th, 2014
http://asbarez.com/130002/community-raises-over-60000-for-armenian-studies-at-uc-irvine/
Dr. Garo and Mrs. Sylvie Tertzakian hosted their seventh annual
fundraiser to support the Armenian Studies program at UC Irvine
IRVINE, Calif.--This past Sunday, Dr. Garo and Mrs. Sylvie Tertzakian
held their seventh annual fundraiser to support the Armenian Studies
program within the School of Humanities at UC Irvine. With generous
support from the community, the event raised over $60,000 to go
towards establishing an endowed chair of Armenian Studies.
Georges Van Den Abbeele, Dean of the School of Humanities, was present
to share his vision for the program, thank the Tertzakians and the
community for its continued support of the program and to invite
attendees to take action by supporting the $500,000 fundraising
challenge to meet the $1.5 million mark necessary to establishing an
endowed chair.
The establishment of an endowed chair in Armenian Studies has been a
commitment of the Armenian community in Orange County. With that goal
in mind, Drs. Vahe and Armine Meghrouni, benefactors of the Armenian
Studies Lecture Series, pledged $1 million this summer. In order
to meet the present $1.5 million endowment minimum for a faculty
chair, the UC Irvine School of Humanities is asking the community
to commit the remaining $500,000. With the funds raised from last
week's holiday fundraiser, the School of Humanities is on its way to
achieving this goal.
The School of Humanities is currently in an unprecedented position
to elevate the impact of chair endowments, including its proposed
endowed chair in Armenian Studies. In partnership with the University
of California Office of the President, UC Irvine Chancellor Howard
Gillman recently announced a one-time matching gift program to fund
endowed chairs at UC Irvine. For the first eight endowed chairs that
have signed donor agreements at the $1.5 million minimum, there will
be a $500,000 match to bring the endowed chair value to $2 million.
This pilot program is an exciting opportunity to elevate the level of
academic expertise that an esteemed chair can bring to a school and it
would be ideal to quickly capitalize on this unique opportunity. These
matching funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis,
and will no doubt be consumed quickly.
"Armenian studies has a central role to play in the humanities to
the extent that it is both focused on one people's traditions and
history and also opens up a much wider horizon of ethical, cultural,
intellectual and spiritual concerns that face all humanity," said Van
Den Abeele, dean of the School of Humanities. "It is, in a profound
way, both absolutely global and yet as local as our own southern
California community."
Established in December of 2007 under the leadership of history
professor Touraj Daryaee and assisted by the Tertzakians, Armenian
Studies at UC Irvine includes undergraduate coursework in ancient
and modern Armenian history. With financial support from Vahe and
Armine Meghrouni, the program also hosts a quarterly lecture series
that bridges historical and cultural topics surrounding modern day
Armenia to the broader Orange County community.
The School of Humanities is currently in discussion with the American
University of Armenia regarding a partnership on faculty, student and
research exchange, which would add incredible value and knowledge-share
to the Armenian Studies Program at UC Irvine.
To learn more about Armenian Studies at UC Irvine or about how to
support the endowed chair, please reach out to Marijana Lekousis,
Interim Director of Development, at [email protected] or 949-824-1342.