Edward Avedisian's Extraordinary Contributions to Advancing AUA

A torchbearer of support for the American University of Armenia (AUA), philanthropist Edward Avedisian has been an unwavering champion, an influencer of new developments in the process of institutional advancement since the early years of the University. His name is etched in many educational establishments and higher education initiatives in Armenia, and in the United States. The most recent among those innovative undertakings is the establishment of the first two Endowed Named Professorships at AUA, which will promote attracting top quality scholars and educators from across the world.

Avedisian was born in 1937 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian, both from Kharpert. His father had emigrated to the United States in 1909 and settled in Rhode Island working as a weaver. His mother, a Genocide survivor, emigrated in 1927, marrying his father that same year, then teaching at a local Armenian school. Together, they raised Edward and his three siblings, Paramaz, Zvart and Paul, placing utmost importance on their education.

Avedisian attended local public schools and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Boston University on scholarship. Though his family did not possess much, they had ample love and support for their children. His mother, a talented singer, was a source of encouragement every time he picked up his brother’s clarinet and began to play.

Those early attempts with the family instrument led him to a professional career in music as a clarinetist with the Boston Pops for 30 years and the Boston Ballet Orchestra for 43 seasons. Avedisian guest performed with the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Armenian Radio and TV Orchestra and the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia. He also served as an instructor, lecturer and arts administrator, later finding new success as a private investor.

Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian awards Edward Avedisian the inaugural AUA Presidential Commendation Award, AUA Commencement, 2017

Seasoned philanthropists, Avedisian and his wife Pamela have planted a bounty of seeds at AUA that have sprouted in support of the University’s ambitious initiatives. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the founding of AUA in the same year that Armenia gained independence in 1991, Avedisian found a niche to advance education in the homeland, getting directly involved with AUA shortly after its founding, and later joining the Board of Trustees in 1999.

In 1992, Avedisian sponsored the establishment of the Paul Avedisian Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD), named after one of his brothers, created to foster Armenia’s economic development and transition to a market economy.

In 1995, Avedisian funded the inception of the Zvart Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR), named after his sister, as an applied research center within the AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS). The Center partners with major global health organizations and prominent academic institutions in public health research.

Avedisian after receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2016

Avedisian was also a benefactor in the construction of the AUA Paramaz Avedisian Building (PAB) completed in 2008 and named after his second brother. As the principal donor of the 100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility, he served as chair of the construction committee from 2005-2009. The building accommodates offices, classrooms, research centers, conference halls, student union, an amphitheater and ancillary space for teaching and learning.

Recently, Avedisian announced his sponsorship of two Endowed Named Professorship funds in honor of noteworthy AUA board members who have had a major influence in the development of the University: Dr. Judson King Endowed Professorship and Dr. William Frazer Endowed Professorship. “These two Endowed Named Professorships for Dr. King and Dr. Frazer were established to recognize and honor their enormous contributions over some 60 cumulative years, both as AUA chairmen of the Board of Trustees and their sustained service on the Board as Trustees,” said Avedisian. “Both honorees have also served as provost at the University of California and the wealth of their experience, interest, expertise, vision and distinguished careers has resulted in the tremendous advancement of AUA from 1991 to the present.”

Dr. King is an active member of the AUA Board of Trustees, which he joined in 1995 and served as its chairman. He is provost and senior vice president emeritus of the University of California, as well as Professor Emeritus in chemical and biomolecular engineering at UC Berkeley. “It is especially meaningful to me that it comes from Ed, who has been such a strong supporter of the University, as well as a longtime friend who came onto the AUAC Board soon after I joined as chair 27 years ago,” said Dr. King. “Ed has done so much for AUA. I am pleased to be linked with him and his very meaningful efforts in this way.”

The bulk of Dr. King’s academic career had been on the UC Berkeley campus until 1994 when he was appointed as the first Vice Provost for Research, and subsequently as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1995. “Upon arriving in the office, I reviewed my calendar for the weeks ahead with Barbara Gerber, my executive assistant. There was a line drawn through one entire day with four letters inserted — AUAC. I asked, ‘What’s that?’ and Barbara said, ‘That’s the American University of Armenia. As provost, you chair the Board.’ That was the first time I had heard of AUA!” recalled Dr. King. “From that unknowing start, I came to know and love AUA, and to end up feeling that it has surely been one of the few most meaningful and vital enterprises among the many with which I have been associated.”

Since then, the institution has grown in a myriad of ways. He attributes some of the successes that helped its initial development to AUA’s ability to stand on firmer and more diversified financial footing. “In the early years, AUA survived and developed through the support and great generosity of one philanthropist and visionary co-founder, Louise Manoogian Simone. AUA now has a more varied base of strong financial support from a greater number of people, allowing us a greater ability to build and grow,” he comments.

In listing the University achievements that he believes to be notable, he notes the leadership of dedicated presidents — Dr. Mihran Agbabian, Dr. Haroutune Armenian, Dr. Bruce Boghosian, Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian and currently, Dr. Karin Markides; the addition of the PAB building funded by Avedisian; how AUA came out of the global pandemic undiminished; and the areas of research and development in which the University is immersed for the greater benefit of Armenian society. “AUA has been vital for the progress of Armenia in developing its economic and sociological bases as an independent country and for giving it useful links to the world at large,” said Dr. King. “I hope and expect that AUA will become all the more central to the economic and societal development of Armenia, not just as a producer of well-educated citizens, but also as a source of the research and innovation that will launch new areas of economic growth and improvement in the quality of life for all,” he concludes.

Dr. Frazer is an AUA board member, Senior Vice President Emeritus of Academic Affairs at the University of California (UC), and Professor Emeritus in the Physics Department of UC Berkeley. As the founding chairman of the Board of Trustees, his involvement with AUA starts from the founding of the University, when he served on the task force to establish its affiliation with UC.

“When I was UC Provost, three faculty members paid me a visit: Mihran Agbabian, Armen Der Kiureghian and Stepan Karamardian. They wanted to help Armenia recover from the great [Spitak] earthquake that had just occurred,” recalled Dr. Frazer. “They proposed to found an American-style university, privately funded, but with UC participation to ensure the quality of education, an admissions process free of corruption, a dignified student culture, etc., and so I proposed and led a visit to Armenia by a UC delegation to decide whether that vision was possible.” After the task force visited Armenia in 1990, the UC Regents unanimously voted in favor of the affiliation, establishing Dr. Frazer as the first chair of the Board of Trustees. “I had the honor of presenting this resolution to the Regents, and it was the only time I ever received a round of applause!” he exclaims.

Speaking to the establishment of the newest Endowed Named Professorship in his name, Dr. Frazer says, “I feel deeply honored. Helping to found AUA is one of the two most satisfying accomplishments of my career, but more important is the value of the gift of these Endowed Named Professorships. These will be a great help to AUA’s recruitment of distinguished research scholars.” Dr. Frazer hopes for the University to maintain and further enhance the quality of education and looks forward to achieving the goal of establishing a culture of research.

These Endowed Named Professorships will allow AUA to add to its roster of dynamic curricular offerings and hire and retain qualified teaching and research professionals from all over the world. Such efforts will enable attracting top scholars throughout Armenia and beyond and allow them, as well as the University, to realize ambitious goals for academic and professional success, triggering and contributing to the transformation of the entire country.

As a pioneer for the betterment of Armenia, Avedisian’s direct role in AUA has led to great achievements in program expansion and research development at the University. His strategic foresight to pinpoint urgent needs, not only for AUA, but for Armenia, is what has added value to the institution and allowed the University to be a leader in facilitating progress and change that has and continues to guide the country on the road to global prosperity.

“Both Dr. King and Dr. Frazer Endowed Professorships set the beginning of the final stage for AUA’s development in becoming a research university, attracting the best international professors and students to explore the future through research. Their continuing contributions to AUA are most appreciated and we thank them as we look forward to a very bright and promising future with the establishment of the final phase of an academic university as AUA begins to offer doctoral programs,” Avedisian concludes.

The AUA community is grateful for the steadfast support of the Avedisians and their magnanimous contributions to the continuous advancement of the University over the years.