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The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) is pleased to announce that Katarina Terzyan has been appointed as the Executive Secretary of the SAS. The appointment comes at a time when SAS has dramatically expanded its activities in the United States, Armenia, and Artsakh. Since 2018, SAS membership has doubled, and its projects have multiplied in all dimensions in the field of Armenian Studies, from its prestigious journal the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies (JSAS) to its Podcast Series and from its cooperation with chairs and directors in the U.S. to its joint projects with academic institutions in Artsakh and Armenia.

Terzyan will be responsible for managing the day-to-day activities that include membership outreach, the SAS website, mailing list, SAS publicity, SAS relations with affiliated institutions/organizations, SAS Zoom lectures and meetings, annual EC elections, and report to the president.

Terzyan works as an Elections Assistant with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, where she assists in completing special projects geared towards preparing for upcoming Los Angeles County wide elections. Prior to working for Los Angeles County, Terzyan served as a Program Specialist with CivilNet – a non-profit news organization based in Armenia, where she maintained the organization’s email list, edited text for video reports, and created content for social media outlets. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California, where she had the opportunity to work with the USC Institute of Armenian Studies. During her time at the Institute, she became engaged within the field of Armenian studies and was exposed to the complexities of language and culture within the diaspora. Having immigrated to the United States at a young age, she has continued to hold a particular interest in the social structures of communities and the ways in which they are affected by policies and politics around the world. In her spare time, she likes to read books focusing on personal growth, mental cultivation, and women’s experiences – subjects often found within her favorite literary genre of coming-to-age novels. Given the chance to stray from her computer, she enjoys taking ballet classes, cooking, and exploring new restaurants in search of affordable meals which don’t compromise on quality. Terzyan commented on her appointment saying:

“I am very much looking forward to taking on the role of Executive Secretary of the Society of Armenian Studies. The role seems to be dynamic in providing opportunities to interact with SAS members, affiliated institutions, and the community while providing support within handling internal operational duties. Within this position, I hope to continue to work in finding creative methods of engagement by utilizing social media platforms as well as by providing well-sourced information to individual members of SAS. I am excited to work among experts who contribute to promoting Armenian studies by sponsoring research initiatives and panels/conferences, which facilitate the exchange of scholarly information. Over the past year, having seen how powerful open-source information can be – at a time particularly challenging for Armenia as it recoils from the political, economic, and social impacts of war, I look evermore towards supporting an organization which aims to foster unity and research within the field of Armenian studies.”

Prof. Bedross Der Matossian, the President of SAS commented: “We are all elated to hire such a qualified and energetic person as Katarina Terzyan. Her background and experience will be extremely crucial in taking the Society for Armenian Studies to the next level. With its limited resources, SAS has been able to gain wide popularity and fame in the field of Armenian Studies. Our membership has multiplied reaching some 350 members from all parts of the world. Our activities too have unprecedently expanded. As the organization continues growing, the need for a professional person to administer SAS became apparent. I am sure that Terzyan will play a key role in advancing the Society on all dimensions.”

The position of the Executive Secretary of SAS was made possible by a generous donation by Mr. Dean Shahinian, a longtime member of the Society.

The Society for Armenian Studies is an international body, composed of scholars and students, whose aims are to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature and social, political and economic questions; to facilitate the exchange of scholarly information pertaining to Armenian studies around the world; and to sponsor panels and conferences on Armenian studies.

For more information on how to help SAS please contact Bedross Der Matossian at bdermatossian2@unl.edu.