CSUN Armenian Studies Program Hosts Zaruhy Sara Chitjian Room Dedication
Media Contact: Alondra Ponce, alondra.ponce.432@my.csun.edu, or Javier Rojas, javier.rojas@csun.edu, (818) 677-2130
California State University, Northridge’s Armenian Studies Program hosted a room dedication in honor of Zaruhy Sara Chitjian and her parents, Hampartzoum and Ovsanna. Zaruhy Chitjian was a life-long teacher and advocate for Armenian history and culture in teaching curriculum.
The ceremony was held on Tuesday, Oct. 14. The event began with a brief dedication and ribbon cutting in Sierra Tower 404.
“This is an opportunity to not only educate students, but because part of the collection will be in the special collections in the CSUN University Library, it is open to anyone who is doing research with the topic of the Armenian genocide and culture,” said Suren Papken Seropian, one of the organizers of the ceremony.
The displays show a history of Chitjians’ family beginnings before the Armenian genocide in 1915 up until 2022, when she passed away. The collection tells a story of how her parents separately arrived in Mexico City, got married, had children and moved to Los Angeles.
“The Chitjian family collection first and foremost contributes to the study of Armenian cultural history at the micro level,” said Vharam Shemmassian, professor and director of the Armenian Studies Program. “It also opens new venues for the understanding of the Armenian Genocide, thereby humanizing the calamity rather than just rendering it a narration of numbers and chain of events. Given the Chitjian family stayed several years in Mexico before entering their final destination of the United States, the various items in their holding shed new light on the little studied Armenian community in that country as well as Armenian -Mexican relations.”
The room holds a collection of her and her family’s archive, displaying letters written by her father to his brothers during the Armenian genocide, recordings and photos with well-known Armenian figures.
“Archives, including the Chitjian family’s records, provide unique and personal evidence of the ways individuals experience historical events and eras we typically learn about by studying broad, large-scale narratives,” said Ellen Jarosz, head of CSUN’s special collections and archives. “The Chitjian documents, photographs, artifacts, ephemera and other materials are rich resources with which researchers and community members will study the past for generations to come.”
After the dedication, attendees walked from Sierra Tower to the Whitsett Room on the fourth floor of Sierra Hall, where a dinner was held and full program of speakers followed, including Shemmassian.
“It is really a foundation of information. Even though the genocide is a huge part of our history and story, she always advocated that there is more to us then just the genocide, there is a 2000-year long history,” Seropian said, who is the Sr. Director of Development for the Andrew J. Anagnost College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Around 8 to 10% of the student body of CSUN is of Armenian descent, making it one of the highest concentrations of Armenian students at any university in the U.S., Seropian said. “This dedication furthers the story of the American experience here on campus. It adds to the contribution that Armenians have made to the campus and continue to make.”
CSUN’s College of Humanities prepares students to graduate with the necessary skills to succeed in a highly diverse world, helping students find careers in various fields. Sara Chitjian donated two-thirds of her estate to CSUN to support the Armenian Studies Program, augmenting their resources and education.
The post CSUN Armenian Studies Program Hosts Zaruhy Sara Chitjian Room Dedication first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
Latest CSUN Newsroom
- CSUN Student Films to Feature in PBS SoCal FINE CUT Film FestivalThe series received a record-breaking 430 film submissions from students across 53 schools in California, with only 33 films becoming finalists. The post CSUN Student Films to Feature in PBS SoCal FINE CUT Film Festival first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
- Fall(ing) for Big Show, with GalantisA special fall edition of the Associated Students' "Big Show" featuring Galantis captivated the crowd on the University Library Lawn. The post Fall(ing) for Big Show, with Galantis first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
- Help CSUN Students Scuba Dive for ScienceThe acclaimed CSUN Marine Biology program is raising funds so CSUN students can undergo required training before the explore the ocean depths. The post Help CSUN Students Scuba Dive for Science first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
- CSUN Music Prof. and His Band Masanga Marimba To Perform at Harvest Moon GatheringThe band was first established in a CSUN music class in 2000, when Prof. Ric Alviso first joined CSUN’s Music department. The post CSUN Music Prof. and His Band Masanga Marimba To Perform at Harvest Moon Gathering first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
- Ready to Become a Nurse? Press Play on Your RN Future at CSUNCSUN nursing student Daniela Muriel moved from Colombia to Los Angeles and became the first in her family to graduate from an American university. The post Ready to Become a Nurse? Press Play on Your RN Future at CSUN first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
- 2025 Volume of the CSUN Student Research Journal Showcases Science for AllSince 1995, K-12 students and teachers have published their research in The New Journal of Student Research Abstracts, created by Dr. Steven Oppenheimer who hopes of instilling a curiosity in science beyond the classroom. The post 2025 Volume of the CSUN Student Research Journal Showcases Science for All first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.