From Earthquake Tragedy to Beacon of Light: The Story of the American University of America
A book discussion
Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian and
Dr. Dzovinar Derderian
Wednesday, November 12, 7:00 pm
Alumni House
Learn More
Dr. Dzovinar Derderian will be in conversation with Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian about his latest book From Earthquake Tragedy to Beacon of Light : The Story of the American University of Armenia. Following the discussion we will have a reception.
From Earthquake Tragedy to Beacon of Light : The Story of the American University of Armenia (AUA) from the moment of its conceptualization after the Spitak earthquake of 1988, to its founding in 1991 under extremely challenging conditions, and its remarkable growth and advancement over the last three decades. It also tells the story of how AUA became affiliated with the University of California, and how it came to be accredited by one of the highly recognized American accrediting agencies. Aside from the author’s memories, the writing relies on archival documents, including reports by the presidents of the University, minutes of various meetings, correspondence within and outside the University, newspaper articles, program review reports, strategic planning reports, and reviews by outside organizations.
Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian is President Emeritus of the American University of Armenia and Taisei Professor of Civil Engineering Emeritus of the University of California, Berkeley. He was born in New Julfa, Isfahan, Iran, and attended local Armenian schools. He received his BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from Tehran University and his PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His teaching and research are in the areas of structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, and engineering decision making. He has authored more than 400 publications, including over 13- in archival journals.
Dr. Dzovinar Derderian teaches at the Department of History of the University of California, Berkeley, where she also directs the Armenian Studies Program in the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Her research has focused on Armenians of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire. She has previously taught at the American University of Armenia and University of California, Irvine.
