Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies

Let’s all give a huge congrats to our faculty affiliate, Dave Fossum! 📢 🌟Dave has been officially selected as a 2026–27 Fellow by the National Humanities Center! He is one of only 29 scholars chosen from 453 nationwide applicants. While there, he will be focusing on his upcoming research project, Remembered Innovation: A History of Creativity in Turkmen Music. 🎶 📚We are incredibly proud to see his dedication and ethnomusicology expertise recognized on a national stage! 🔱 👏

Looking for a mid-week creative break? ✒️✨ Join us for Ink and Chill as we explore cultural writing traditions and get some hands-on practice with different scripts. Bring your paper, your favorite pens, and your curiosity.

Join us this Wednesday for a guest lecture with Chulpan Khismatova, Philologist, Behavioral Researcher, and Ethnic Tatar from Duke University, as she explores Tatar as a living archive of identity, resilience, and cultural memory.

🗓 Wednesday, June 3, 2026
⏰ 2:00 – 3:30 PM
💻 https://asu.zoom.us/j/2928409566

Please join us on May 27th for an interactive session where CLI Curriculum Coordinator Mary Harrah, Director James Edmonds, and CLI Alumni share what it truly takes to thrive in a language immersion program — from building strong study habits to communicating confidently before you feel “ready.” Walk away with practical strategies and realistic expectations! 🌐✨

🌍 🗺️ Today marks the start of CLI 2026! ✈️ 🧳
We are thrilled to welcome all of our talented students and dedicated instructors as they embark on this exciting language learning journey! Wishing everyone an enriching, inspiring, and unforgettable experience ahead! 📚 💪 🥂 🍾 🥂

As the Spring Semester of classes comes to a close and the Melikian Center prepares for another summer of the Critical Languages Institute, we are honored to share the new display of Gregory Melikian's military uniform jacket.

Gregory Melikian, the namesake and longtime benefactor of ASU's Melikian Center, served in WWII as a young sergeant with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces staff in France as a communication specialist under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. On May 7, 1945, Melikian was chosen to announce the unconditional surrender of Germany and the end of WWII in Europe. Among the awards represented on his jacket are the medal of Chevalier (Knight) of the French Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France, conferred on Gregory Melikian by French President Francois Hollande in 2012. He served as honorary commander of two fighter wings of the Air Force Reserve at Luke Air Force Base and was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018

Apply here: https://forms.gle/bdkQrdreiQvTd99i9
More info at: https://intelligencecommunity.asu.edu/
Email questions about the program to:
Prof. Erich Schneider, Faculty Director – [email protected]
Jose Moreno, Senior Advisor and Recruiting Coordinator – [email protected]

Here are some memes for a bit of motivation, champs! 😉