Mary Papazian

On January 27, 2016, the California State University Board of Trustees named Papazian the 30th president of San Jose State University, beginning July 1.

From December 8, 2011 to June 30, 2016, Papazian was president of Southern Connecticut State University.

Papazian started out as an assistant, associate and tenured professor of English at Oakland University. 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.

She married Dennis Papazian in 1991; they have two children.

Papazian has a B.A. (1981), M.A. (1983), and Ph.D. (1988) in English literature from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Mary Arshagouni Papazian (born Mary Ellen Arshagouni; February 25, 1959) is the current president of San Jose State University. She has had over 25 years of prior experience in academia, having been the past president of Southern Connecticut State University and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lehman College.

Papazian was born Mary Ellen Arshagouni in Santa Monica, California on February 25, 1959. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, she attended Ferrahian High School, an Armenian private school in Encino.