In Recognition of the Kachigian Family Trust
George, Alice, and Harold Kachigian were the children of
Sarkis and Paris Kachigian, survivors of the Armenian genocide.
In 2021, CALIS received a generous gift from the Kachigian family trust, establishing an endowment fund in support of undergraduate outreach in international relations (IR).
Harold Kachigian was an IR major at USC in the late 1950s. He was known for actively engaging with professors in the School of International Relations; a brilliant mind dedicated to making a difference. In his honor, CALIS has earmarked the endowment to support undergraduate research assistants (RAs) whose positions include service-learning outreach to local schools.
Dornsife Professors of International Relations, taking on the role of CALIS Faculty Advisors, select undergraduates who have demonstrated exceptional skills and commitment to academic research. These RAs also participate each semester in the Teaching International Relations Program—TIRP and work on updating and creating TIRP materials.
- In the first two years, the Kachigian endowment has supported 13 undergraduates—
selected as research assistants by five CALIS Faculty Advisors
and team-teaching through TIRP in over 25 classrooms at 6 local high schools.
These integrated RA positions expand opportunities for faculty mentorship, new research, and further support undergrads as the driving force behind CALIS outreach growth and impact.
The blend of research and service-learning reflects USC traditions of engagement and socially relevant scholarship, and sustain the legacy of inquiry and action that Harold Kachigian inspires.
The Trojan Debate Squad (TDS), USC’s first chartered student organization, is devoted to teaching argumentation and analytic thinking skills to students through academic debate. The TDS is one of the nation’s leading collegiate debate programs and focuses on competitive policy debate, research on the digital transition in debate and expanding debate in Los Angeles public schools.
