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Armenians Honor USC President For Championing USC Armenian Institute

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  • Armenians Honor USC President For Championing USC Armenian Institute

    ARMENIANS HONOR USC PRESIDENT FOR CHAMPIONING USC ARMENIAN INSTITUTE

    Friday, October 3rd, 2014
    http://asbarez.com/127590/armenians-honor-usc-president-for-championing-usc-armenian-institute/

    Charles Ghailian, Chairman of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies
    Leadership Council, USC President C. L. Max Nikias, and Judge Dikran
    Tevrizian, of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies Honorary Council

    BEVERLY HILLS--The University of Southern California Institute of
    Armenian Studies Leadership Council marked its 10th year with a gala
    celebration in the presence of 600 guests and supporters, at the
    Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, September 28.

    The 10th anniversary gala honored USC President C. L. Max Nikias
    for championing the Institute. President Nikias, born in Cyprus, was
    USC Provost when the Institute was established. "He recognized and
    supported the Institute both as an idea and as a university program,
    and for that we're grateful," said Charles Ghailian, chairman of the
    Institute Leadership Council and host of the banquet.

    The Gala committee, headed by Diane Cabraloff and Lori Muncherian,
    raised nearly $2 million to support the Institute's work. In addition
    to generous donations by the Turpanjian Family Educational Foundation,
    there were several significant commitments by others who believe in
    supporting students through scholarships. The Kassabian brothers -
    Garo, Jiro and Diko - established a scholarship fund in their parents'
    names. International Jeweler and Collector Michael Kazanjian also
    established a fund, as did Leadership Council member and Closet
    World CEO Frank and Hoori Melkonian. The Tufenkian family generously
    established the Richard Tufenkian Memorial Scholarship. Attorneys
    Mark Geragos and Brian Kabateck directed some of the proceeds of
    the AXA Insurance Settlement case in support of the Institute's
    programming fund.

    Several dignitaries were present to join in honoring President Nikias.

    The Carnegie Corporation's president, Vartan Gregorian joined the
    guests, as did Haigazian University's president, Paul Haidostian, from
    Beirut. Paul Ignatius, former Secretary of the Navy, and Ambassador
    John Evans, who served in Armenia as ambassador, both members of
    the USC Institute's Honorary Council, were also present. Also in
    attendance were Paul Krekorian, a member of Los Angeles City Council,
    and Sam Simonian, founder of Yerevan's Tumo Center.

    Several members of the USC Board of Trustees were among the attendees,
    including Ron Tutor, who introduced the president. President Nikias
    spoke about the importance of scholarship for development, and
    reiterated the importance of the Institute to the university.

    The Institute falls within the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts
    and Sciences. Dornsife Dean Steve Kay expanded on the Institute's
    mission, and expressed appreciation for the generous support of
    donors. He acknowledged the three new appointments made in the Armenian
    Studies program and repeated the College's commitment to helping the
    program grow. Professor Richard Antaramian is the inaugural holder of
    the Turpanjian Chair in Contemporary Armenian Studies. Salpi Ghazarian
    will head the Institute of Armenian Studies.

    Professor Richard Hovannisian will work with the USC Shoah Foundation
    Institute to develop the cataloging and indexing of the Armenian Film
    Foundation's collection of survivor testimonies.

    The USC Color Guard officially opened the USC Institute of Armenian
    Studies 10th anniversary Gala at the Beverly Hilton International
    Ballroom in the presence of 600 guests

    Institute Director Salpi Ghazarian addressed the audience by
    acknowledging both the seriousness of their commitment to the role of
    scholarship in problem solving, and the seriousness of the questions
    and problems facing the Armenian nation and the Armenian state.

    The evening's program included a musical medley, generously supported
    by Sara Zaruhi Chitjian, and performed by the Armenian Pops Orchestra,
    led by Greg Hosharian.

    The USC Institute of Armenian Studies (established 2005) supports
    multidisciplinary scholarship to re-define, explore and study the
    complex issues that make up the contemporary Armenian experience
    -- from post-Genocide to the developing Republic of Armenia to the
    evolving Diaspora. The Institute encourages research, publications
    and public service, and benefits from communication technologies to
    link together the global academic and Armenian communities. Donations
    to the USC Institute of Armenian Studies are tax-deductible.

    An Attendee's Perspective on the USC Institute of Armenian Studies
    10th Anniversary Gala

    BY DAVID KARAMARDIAN

    The USC Institute of Armenian Studies honored university president
    C.L. Max Nikias on Sunday, Sept. 28, at its tenth anniversary gala
    banquet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Raising nearly 2 million dollars
    for the institute, approximately 600 guests filled the hotel's ballroom
    and dined to live performances by the Trojan marching band and Greg
    Hosharian's Armenian Pops Orchestra.

    The night began with the band leading the guests into the ballroom.

    Diane Cabraloff and Lori Muncherian, co-chairs of the gala banquet
    committee, provided welcoming remarks to the audience, followed by
    comments from Charles Ghailian, chair of the institute's leadership
    council, and Salpi Ghazarian, director of the institute.

    Ghazarian, who became director last month after spending the past 15
    years in Armenia, expressed her hope for the future of the institution:
    "The possibilities are endless, and I'm grateful for the amazing
    opportunity to try to work with you in this amazing institution,
    to try to answer very difficult questions that are at the center of
    global discourse."

    Steve Kay, dean of the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences,
    which houses the institute, later took the stage, praising Dr. Nikias'
    support for the institute: "Dr. Nikias' steadfast commitment to
    championing USC's Institute of Armenian Studies has been critical
    to what we've been able to achieve the last ten years and what we're
    going to be able to achieve in the future."

    He added, "Tonight, with this momentum unfolding before our eyes, with
    the tangible excitement that we can all feel and share, we celebrate
    the Institute of Armenian Studies as it becomes the epicenter of
    research, teaching and community outreach for a nation that so many
    people around me tonight call their home."

    Following an hour break for dinner, Hosharian and his orchestra
    performed a musical medley, and a video presentation featured Armenian
    USC alumni dating back to the early twentieth century.

    USC Board of Trustees member Ronald Tutor then introduced the final
    speaker of the night, Dr. Nikias himself, who noted how humbled he
    was to be honored by the institute and how proud USC is to be the
    institute's home.

    He defined the Armenian community as an "unsurpassed exemplar" of
    "passionate love for education" and noted the group's resilience
    in the wake of hardships: "In the refining heart of the crucible of
    experience, true character and true leadership emerges. And through
    the crucible, the Armenian community has emerged with the capacity
    to provide significant leadership in our society."

    Dr. Nikias closed with an Armenian folk tale to inspire the crowd for
    the institute's future. "Three apples fell from heaven; one from the
    story teller, one for he who listens, and one for he who understands,"
    he said. "As the Institute of Armenian Studies tells the incredible
    ongoing story of the Armenian people, may we all embrace these apples
    and find inspiration and appreciation for many generations to come."

    Established in 2005, the institute covers all aspects of Armenian
    studies with focuses on the contemporary Diaspora, the developing
    Republic of Armenia, and the effects of genocide.

    David Karamardian is a senior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles
    and the 2014 Asbarez intern.

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