(LOS ANGELES)–The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) announced this week the selection of Professor R. Hrair Dekmejian as the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Each year–the AEF chooses one educator to honor. There are two levels of awards–one is recognized as the AEF Educator of the Year and the other is the AEF Lifetime Achievement Award. Professor Dekmejian will be receiving the most coveted and respected Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was first granted to Professor Richard G. Hovannisian. Since then–Professors Rubina Peroomian–Mihran Agbabian–and Yuri Sarkissyan have been amongst the distinguished recipients of this award.
Dekmejian was born in Aleppo–Syria. In 1950–Dekmejian immigrated to the United States and attended Los Angeles City College. He then moved to the East Coast to attend Yale Divinity School in Connecticut where he met his lifetime partner–Anoush Hagopian. They have three sons–Gregory–Armen–and Haig. In 1955–Dekmejian enlisted in the US Army and was sent to NATO Headquarters in France because of his fluency in French–Arabic–Armenian–Turkish–and English.
Dekmejian’s resume reflects his extensive experience as a professor at Columbia University–University of Pennsylvania–SUNY-Binghamton–and the University of Southern California where he has been a professor in the Department of Political Science since 1986. He was the Chair of the Department of Political Science from 1986-89. He has been a Professor at Ibear Program at the USC Marshall Business School since 1992.
Dekmejian has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He is well known for his appearances on television relating to the Middle East and international affairs. Dekmejian has produced television documentaries–lectured on world affairs to diplomatic personnel–business executives–civic groups–and professional organizations. He has conducted research–lectured–and traveled worldwide. He has authored and co-authored nine books including his most recent–"The Just Prince: A Manual of Leadership and Troubled Waters: the Geopolitics of the Caspian Region." He has also authored a large number of scholarly articles for professional journals. His book–"Islam in Revolution," has been translated to Farsi and Arabic and published in Iran and Egypt. Dekmejian has also worked as a consultant for various US government agencies in Washington DC.
Dekmejian has recently accepted the position of Director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies. He continues to remain an active member of the Armenian community including being an ordained deacon. He presently conducts the St. Peter’s Church Choir in Glendale. Dekmejian is USC’s faculty advisor for three Armenian organizations–the Armenian Alumni Association–the Armenian Graduate Students Association–and the Armenian Students Association.
We encourage all those who have known and worked with him to join the AEF in celebrating the achievemen’s of Professor Dekmejian. A special luncheon will be held in his honor on December 4–at the Beverly Hills Hotel. For more information or call: (818) 242-4154 or email hkeyrib@aol.com.