Mary Papazian
Papazian attends a San Jose State basketball game in 2017.
30th President of San Jose State University
In office
July 1, 2016 – December 21, 2021
Preceded bySusan Martin
Succeeded byStephen Perez
11th President of Southern Connecticut State University
In office
February 1, 2012 – June 30, 2016
Preceded byStanley Battle
Succeeded byJoe Bertolino
Personal details
Born
Mary Ellen Arshagouni

(1959-02-25) February 25, 1959 (age 64)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Spouse
Dennis Papazian
​
​
(m. 1991; died 2023)​
Children2
EducationPh.D in English literature
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA, MA, PhD)

Mary Arshagouni Papazian (born Mary Ellen Arshagouni; February 25, 1959) is the former president of San Jose State University.[1] She has had over 25 years of prior experience in academia,[2] having been the past president of Southern Connecticut State University and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lehman College. She resigned from her post in 2021.[3]

Early life and education

Papazian was born Mary Ellen Arshagouni to a family of Armenian descent in Santa Monica, California on February 25, 1959.[4][5] Raised in the San Fernando Valley,[6] she attended Ferrahian High School, an Armenian private school in Encino.[7]

Papazian has a B.A. (1981), M.A. (1983), and Ph.D. (1988) in English literature from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[8]

Career

Papazian started out as an assistant, associate and tenured professor of English at Oakland University.[9] After her teaching career, she continued her work in education. From 1999 to 2004, she was associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oakland University in Michigan and was also executive director of the department of music, theater, and dance at Oakland from 2003 to 2004. She then served as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University in New Jersey from 2004 to 2007. Papazian was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Lehman College, City University of New York from 2007 to 2011.[9]

From February 1, 2012 to June 30, 2016, Papazian was president of Southern Connecticut State University.[10][11]

On January 27, 2016, the California State University Board of Trustees named Papazian the 30th[6] president of San Jose State University, beginning July 1.[12]

On October 7, 2021, Papazian announced that she would resign as the president of San José State University at the end of the 2021 fall semester.[13] The resignation came after the U.S. Department of Justice investigated San Jose State for a sex abuse scandal where the school failed for more than a decade to adequately respond to reports of sexual abuse by its former director of sports medicine.[14][15]

Research and academic interests

Papazian's dissertation at UCLA was titled John Donne's "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions": A Puritan Reading.[5] She has edited two books, John Donne and the Protestant Reformation[16] and Sacred and Profane in English Renaissance Literature[17] as well as numerous articles on Donne.

Works

Personal life

She married Dennis Papazian in 1991; they have two daughters.[4] Dennis Papazian died on March 16, 2023.[18]

References

  1. ^ "San Jose State Appoints New President". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  2. ^ "Mary Papazian Appointed San Jose State University President | Asbarez.com". asbarez.com. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  3. ^ "Dr. Mary A. Papazian Resigns as 30th President of SJSU".
  4. ^ a b "Mary Arshagouni Papazian". The Complete Marquis Who's Who Biographies. February 5, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Arshagouni, Mary Ellen (1988). John Donne's 'Devotions upon emergent occasions': A Puritan reading (Ph.D.). University of California, Los Angeles.
  6. ^ a b Papazian, Mary A. (August 25, 2016). "2016 Fall Welcome Address" (PDF). San Jose State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  7. ^ McLoughlin, Pamela (March 18, 2012). "New president of Southern Connecticut State University diving right in, all ears". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Mary A. Papazian, Ph.D." (PDF). Baruch College. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Biography". San Jose State University Office of the President. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  10. ^ Thomas, Jacqueline Rabe (June 30, 2016). "Leadership changes at state's largest public college system". Connecticut Mirror. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  11. ^ "Campus leadership news". Southern Connecticut State University. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  12. ^ "CSU Trustees Appoint Mary A. Papazian as President of SJSU". San Jose State University. January 27, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  13. ^ "Dr. Mary A. Papazian Resigns as 30th President of SJSU". San Jose State University. October 7, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Axon, Kenny Jacoby and Rachel. "San Jose State President Papazian resigning after DOJ criticizes sex abuse investigation". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  15. ^ "San Jose State University President Mary Papazian to resign amid turmoil over trainer sexual abuse scandal". The Mercury News. 2021-10-07. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  16. ^ "John Donne and the Protestant Reformation". Wayne State University Press. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "The Sacred and Profane in English Renaissance Literature, 2008". Archived from the original on April 11, 2019.
  18. ^ https://mirrorspectator.com/2023/03/24/educator-historian-and-genocide-recognition-activist-dr-dennis-r-papazian-dies/
Categories