Undergraduate Armenian Studies Research Symposium: Program
Join us on Friday, April 11, at 10 AM for USC’s first-ever Undergraduate Armenian Studies Research Symposium in TCC 450 (The Forum). Undergraduate students from various disciplines and recent USC graduates will present their original research in Armenian Studies. The program will be enriched by a keynote presentation by Dr. Houri Berberian and Dr. Talinn Grigor who will present their recent book, The Armenian Woman, Minoritarian Agency, and the Making of Iranian Modernity, 1860–1979. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2025.
PROGRAM
9:00 AM Check-in
9:30 AM Doors Open
10:00 AM Opening Remarks
Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Director USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies
Patrik Sargsyan, Vice President, USC Armenian Student Association
10:20 AM Silent Struggles: Violence and Colorism in the Armenian Experience
Hannah Croulet
Silenced Suffering: Sexual Violence as a Systematic Tool of Oppression During the Armenian Genocide
Jionna Bah
Colorism Within the Armenian Diaspora
11:00 AM Discussion
11:10 AM Negotiating Authority: Political Culture, Legal Evolution, and Spiritual Beliefs in Armenia
Irina Harutyunyan
«Դատաստանագիրք» by Mkhitar Gosh: Pillar of Armenian National Identity
Mane Berikyan
From the “Qucha” to the Parliament: The Unwritten Rules of Armenian Political Brawls
Mane Avagyan
Measuring Fear, Casting Truth: Witchcraft and Everyday Power in Armenia
12:10 PM Discussion
12:30 PM Lunch
2:00 PM Beyond Charity: Sustainable Development and Strengthening Diasporan Ties
Luca Johnson
Identity and Investing: The Armenian Apostolic Church and Diaspora Financial Flows to Armenia
Michael and John Baghdassarian
Engagement Over Charity: A Case Study of Diasporan Microloans in Rural Armenia
2:40 PM Discussion
2:50 PM Navigating Language in Diaspora: Connectivity, Potentiality, and Vitality
Avery Thunder
Armenian Language Proficiency and Success: College Study
Aidan Ipjian
Armenian Influencers Facilitating Language Exchange within Diasporic Communities
Solange Aguero
Shifting the Narrative: Perspectives on Western Armenian Language Endangerment
Lori Gaboudian
Partner Preferences in Los Angeles’s Armenian Diaspora: The Role of Language and Culture
4:10 PM Discussion
4:30 PM Coffee Break
5:00 PM Keynote & Book Talk
Dr. Houri Berberian and Dr. Talinn Grigor
The Armenian Woman, Minoritarian Agency, and the Making of Iranian Modernity, 1860–1979
6:00 PM Best Research Presentation Award
When: Friday, April 11 at 10:00 AM
Where: Ronald Tutor Campus Center, TCC 450 – The Forum
3607 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089
This program is free of charge and open to the public. RSVP is required.