Mary Papazian
{{Short description|American university president}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Mary Papazian
| image = King Library 15th Anniversary - Mary Papazian (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Papazian at the King Library's 15th Anniversary in 2018
| order =
| office = 30th President of San Jose State University
| term_start = July 1, 2016
| term_end = December 21, 2021
| predecessor = Susan Martin
| successor = Stephen Perez
| prior_term =
| office2 = 11th President of Southern Connecticut State University
| term_start2 = February 1, 2012
| term_end2 = June 30, 2016
| predecessor2 = Stanley Battle
| successor2 = Joe Bertolino
| birth_name = Mary Ellen Arshagouni
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|2|25}}
| birth_place = Santa Monica, California, U.S.
| education = Ph.D in English literature
| alma_mater = University of California, Los Angeles (BA, MA, PhD)
| spouse = {{marriage|Dennis Papazian|1991|2023|end=died}}
| children = 2
}}
Mary Arshagouni Papazian (born Mary Ellen Arshagouni; February 25, 1959) is the former president of San Jose State University.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Jose-State-Appoints-Mary-Papazian-Its-29th-President-366735271.html|title=San Jose State Appoints New President|newspaper=NBC Bay Area|access-date=2016-12-31}} She has had over 25 years of prior experience in academia,{{Cite web|url=http://asbarez.com/145080/mary-papazian-appointed-san-jose-state-university-president/|title=Mary Papazian Appointed San Jose State University President {{!}} Asbarez.com|website=asbarez.com|date=27 January 2016 |access-date=2016-12-31}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2021/president-papazian-resigns|title=Dr. Mary A. Papazian Resigns as 30th President of SJSU}}
Early life and education
Papazian was born Mary Ellen Arshagouni to a family of Armenian descent in Santa Monica, California on February 25, 1959.{{cite web|title=Mary Arshagouni Papazian|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzUVSVGoebZTQ3JWX3p1OGR2ODg/view?resourcekey=0-gPPKM6geumvL3BcwLtVbdw|work=The Complete Marquis Who's Who Biographies|date=February 5, 2007|accessdate=February 9, 2016}} Raised in the San Fernando Valley, she attended Ferrahian High School, an Armenian private school in Encino.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/New-president-of-Southern-Connecticut-State-11465072.php|title=New president of Southern Connecticut State University diving right in, all ears|author=McLoughlin, Pamela|work=New Haven Register|date=March 18, 2012|accessdate=July 11, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207192455/http://www.nhregister.com/article/NH/20120318/NEWS/303189938|archivedate=February 7, 2017|url-status=live}}
Papazian has a B.A. (1981), M.A. (1983), and Ph.D. (1988) in English literature from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).{{cite web|url=https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/documents/PapazianCV.pdf|title=Mary A. Papazian, Ph.D.|publisher=Baruch College|accessdate=July 11, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208033154/https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/documents/PapazianCV.pdf|archivedate=February 8, 2017|url-status=dead}}
Career
Papazian started out as an assistant, associate and tenured professor of English at Oakland University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sjsu.edu/president/meet-the-president/biography/index.php|title=Biography|publisher=San Jose State University Office of the President|access-date=July 11, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730003457/https://www.sjsu.edu/president/meet-the-president/biography/index.php|archivedate=July 30, 2021|url-status=dead}} 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.
From February 1, 2012 to June 30, 2016, Papazian was president of Southern Connecticut State University.{{cite web|url=http://ctmirror.org/2016/06/30/leadership-changes-at-states-largest-public-college-system/|title=Leadership changes at state's largest public college system|author=Thomas, Jacqueline Rabe|work=Connecticut Mirror|date=June 30, 2016|accessdate=February 6, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702182658/http://ctmirror.org/2016/06/30/leadership-changes-at-states-largest-public-college-system/|archivedate=July 2, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109123048/http://www.southernct.edu/campusleadershipsnews/|archivedate=January 9, 2012|title=Campus leadership news|publisher=Southern Connecticut State University|url=http://www.southernct.edu/campusleadershipsnews/|accessdate=July 11, 2022|url-status=dead}}
On January 27, 2016, the California State University Board of Trustees named Papazian the 30th{{cite web|url=http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/FALL_WELCOME_ADDRESS_2016_FINAL.pdf|title=2016 Fall Welcome Address|author=Papazian, Mary A.|publisher=San Jose State University|date=August 25, 2016|accessdate=July 11, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208033300/http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/FALL_WELCOME_ADDRESS_2016_FINAL.pdf|archivedate=February 8, 2017|url-status=dead}} president of San Jose State University, beginning July 1.{{cite web|url=https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2016/csu-trustees-appoint-mary-a-papazian-as-president-of-sjsu/|title=CSU Trustees Appoint Mary A. Papazian as President of SJSU|publisher=San Jose State University|date=January 27, 2016|accessdate=February 6, 2017}}
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.{{cite web |url=https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2021/president-papazian-resigns/ |title=Dr. Mary A. Papazian Resigns as 30th President of SJSU |author= |date=October 7, 2021 |publisher=San Jose State University |access-date=November 22, 2021}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Axon |first=Kenny Jacoby and Rachel |title=San Jose State President Papazian resigning after DOJ criticizes sex abuse investigation |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2021/10/07/san-jose-state-president-papazian-resigns-after-botched-sex-abuse-case/6040748001/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-10-07 |title=San Jose State University President Mary Papazian to resign amid turmoil over trainer sexual abuse scandal |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10/07/san-jose-state-university-president-mary-papazian-to-resign-amid-turmoil-over-trainer-sexual-abuse-scandal/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}
Research and academic interests
Papazian's dissertation at UCLA was titled John Donne's "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions": A Puritan Reading.{{Cite thesis|type=Ph.D.|url=https://search.library.ucla.edu/permalink/01UCS_LAL/17p22dp/alma995209633606533|title=John Donne's 'Devotions upon emergent occasions': A Puritan reading|first=Mary Ellen|last= Arshagouni|publisher=University of California, Los Angeles|year=1988}} She has edited two books, John Donne and the Protestant Reformation{{Cite web|url=http://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/john-donne-and-protestant-reformation|title=John Donne and the Protestant Reformation |publisher=Wayne State University Press|accessdate=July 11, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208033235/http://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/john-donne-and-protestant-reformation|archivedate=February 8, 2017|url-status=live}} and Sacred and Profane in English Renaissance Literature{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/library/120089790/the-sacred-and-profane-in-english-renaissance-literature|title=The Sacred and Profane in English Renaissance Literature, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411170611/https://www.questia.com/library/120089790/the-sacred-and-profane-in-english-renaissance-literature|archivedate=April 11, 2019|url-status=dead}} as well as numerous articles on Donne.
Works
- John Donne and the Protestant Reformation (Wayne State UP, 2003), editor
- Sacred and Profane in English Renaissance Literature (U of Delaware P, 2008), editor
Personal life
She married Dennis Papazian in 1991; they have two daughters. Dennis Papazian died on March 16, 2023.{{cite web | url=https://mirrorspectator.com/2023/03/24/educator-historian-and-genocide-recognition-activist-dr-dennis-r-papazian-dies/ | title=Educator, Historian and Genocide Recognition Activist Dr. Dennis R. Papazian Dies | date=25 March 2023 }}
References
{{reflist}}{{San Jose State University presidents}}{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papazian, Mary}}
Category:Southern Connecticut State University faculty
Category:Lehman College faculty
Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Category:Oakland University faculty
Category:Montclair State University faculty
Category:American people of Armenian descent