Inauguration 2012
Papazian Installed as SCSU's 11th President
[Above: During her investiture as the 11th president of Southern Connecticut State
University in New Haven, CT, Mary A. Papazian receives the president's medal from
Michael Meotti, executive president for the state Board of Regents for Higher Education,
(left) and Robert Kennedy, board president.]
Mary A. Papazian outlined her vision for Southern during her inauguration Sept. 28,
2012, held at the university's John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts. She said
she will seek to ensure that her university is a highly significant player in the
higher education landscape of Connecticut and the region, and will prepare students
for a knowledge-based economy in the years ahead.
"Public universities like Southern must lead the way in showing that what we can accomplish
here is vitally important to the future of our society," Papazian said. "We must make
it clear to the public, to the business community, and to the political establishment
that investing in an institution like Southern is not only an investment in the students
who attend the university, but also by extension, it is an investment in the whole
community and - and this isn't overstating it -- in the very future of America."
She is the 11th president of the school in its storied 119-year history. She is the
second woman to become president at Southern, following Cheryl J. Norton, who served
from 2004 to 2010. She is also believed to be the first Armenian-American woman to
lead a U.S. university, according to the Armenian Weekly.
Lewis J. Robinson Jr., chairman of the state Board of Regents for Higher Education,
presided over the ceremony and administered the investiture charge to Papazian. Other
speakers included Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3), New Haven Mayor
John DeStefano Jr. and Hamden Mayor Scott P. Jackson.
Papazian, 53, is an accomplished scholar, particularly with regard to British literature.
She has studied and written about John Donne, a metaphysical English poet from the
late 16th and early 17th century. Among her other interests are Armenian history and
culture. She and her husband, Dennis Papazian, have two daughters, Ani and Marie.
They reside in Woodbridge.
"Together, we will work to ensure that Southern continues to develop into an outstanding,
comprehensive, public university of significant value to the local community, the
state that supports us, and indeed, our nation at large," Papazian said. "This is
a university where we strive to give the students every opportunity to acquire a first-class
education with a global vision in an enlightened, compassionate, supportive and diverse
environment. And we intend to do more in the future...Together we will work to make
Southern the most successful university in its class."
Wyman expressed confidence in Papazian's ability to lead the university, calling her
dedicated, hardworking and innovative. "I have no doubt this is just the beginning
of a great era for Southern Connecticut State University," Wyman said.
Papazian also expressed her desire for Southern to reach out even more to attract
out-of-state and international students. She said not only does that help the university
financially, but it enriches the social and education experiences of Connecticut students.
And while much of her message focused on Southern's role in the public and its commitment
to students, she also shared a glimpse into her management style. "This I pledge:
I will have an open administration. I will provide equitable treatment for all, and
I will fulfill without fail all official and unofficial responsibilities. My administration
will be evenhanded and predictable."