Dr. Anna Aleksanyan has been appointed the 22nd Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies for the 2026 spring semester. The Kazan Visiting Professorship is a specially endowed program that invites an internationally recognized scholar in contemporary Armenian affairs to campus for one semester each year. The distinguished professor teaches a course related to modern Armenian history and delivers three public lectures that are later published in the Kazan Armenian Studies series.

This spring, Aleksanyan will teach “Gender and the Armenian Genocide,” examining mass violence through genocide theory and gender analysis, with particular focus on the experiences of Armenian women.

Dr. Luca Brillante, associate professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology, received the Claude C. Laval Jr. Award for Innovative Technology and Research for the project, "Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging for Large-Scale Mapping of NIR/SWIR Virus Infections in Vineyards."

Much of the research focuses on more effectively detecting damaging viruses such as leafroll and red blotch in vineyards by using machine vision on advanced imaging (which detects light absorption in leaf canopies) to help growers avoid widespread problems before they significantly harm vegetation and crops.

The project is part of a seven-year study. Updates from the research team are available on Instagram.

Dr. Sergio La Porta, interim dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, has been awarded the 2025 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prize for Excellence in Armenian Studies by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. He received the honor alongside co-author Dr. Alison M. Vacca for their book "An Armenian Futuh Narrative: Lewond’s Eighth-Century History of the Caliphate."