"I always knew I’d be a teacher," he said. "I have a framed finger painting I did in first grade with two stick-figures standing in front of a chalk board. And, in my finest first-grade manuscript, it says, 'I will be a teacher.'"

See the finger painting.

Born and raised in Fresno, Jendian received his B.A. in sociology and minor degrees in psychology and Armenian Studies from Fresno State (1991). He earned his M.A. (1995) and Ph.D. (2001) in Sociology from the University of Southern California. 

"I became interested in sociology because of my fascination and curiosity with understanding human behavior," he said. "I ask lots of questions, and I saw sociological theories and research as an opportunity to figure out why people do the things they do, help me understand my own life, and see how our lives are impacted by larger, structural social forces, but also how we can not just be shaped by those forces but come to shape them ourselves." 

His passion for social justice derives from his own family’s experience of injustice. 

Three of his four grandparents are survivors of the Ottoman Turkish Genocide committed against the Armenians and other groups between 1914-1923 in Turkey.

"I learned about genocide from my family members' sharing of personal memories," he said. "And their stories of survival against the odds, struggle against discrimination and prejudice, and sacrifice for the next generation made an impression on me that life is a gift and meant to be used to serve others, advocate for those less fortunate, and fight for justice for all."

He began teaching at Fresno State as a part-time lecturer in January 1995, became a full-time lecturer in August 1998, and started on the tenure-track as an assistant professor in August 2002. 

"As a faculty member, I love all three aspects of my work — teaching, research, and service," he said. "The aspect that I like most is the direct impact on students’ lives. "

He regularly teaches courses on the "Sociology of Race and Ethnicity," "Contemporary Social Issues," "Sociology of Terrorism and Genocide," and "Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Community Organizing." 

"I have the privilege of assisting people in reaching their academic and career goals, and I derive immense satisfaction and gratification from that role as professor, academic advisor, research mentor, internship supervisor, and career coach," he said. "I see so many of my former students 'paying it forward' in various ways through their professional and volunteer lives." 

As a professor who teaches, does research, and serves on various campus committees, Dr. Jendian never has a dull moment.

"I am never without something that needs to be done," he said. "As a professor, I see my most important responsibility to challenge my students —I challenge their thinking, their writing, and their civic engagement. I want them to be the best they can be, because our Central Valley, our society, and our world will need their best innovative and creative selves to figure out how to address the problems we face."

As a department chair, he supports sociology faculty.

"That means challenging them, supporting them, and helping them think through and be the faculty members they want to be," he said. "I think we have some of the best scholars, teachers, and advisors at our University, and this is demonstrated by the accomplishments of not only our faculty but of our best students."

As director of Humanics, he ensures that the University is providing the best project-based service-learning experiences that support the community while preparing the next generation of leaders for the Valley and beyond.

He loves seeing former students working in different capacities around the Valley and also hearing from those working far away.

"Their appreciation for the little things I’ve done to help them on their journey is demonstrated by them 'paying it forward' through their niche in the world," he said.

Dr. Jendian is the founding director of Humanics@FresnoState, which offers a Minor in Philanthropic and Community-based Leadership. 

"I think having Humanics@FresnoState is a unique distinction for our University," he said. "Our program is distinguished in several ways—by its unique hands-on community-based projects, our size (220 alumni in 16 years), and our engagement locally, nationally, and internationally."

He was selected as part of the first cohort of the Irvine Foundation’s New Leadership Network, and he continues to participate with that group. He has also served as a board member for several CBOs, including Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (formerly American Humanics, Inc.), Buchanan Babe Ruth Baseball Association, Inc., Fresno Nonprofit Advancement Council, and Fresno Housing Alliance.

Dr. Jendian currently serves as a Board Member of Regenerate California Innovation (formerly Relational Culture Institute) and Fresno Metro Ministry. He is a member of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Team at Fresno State.

He has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles as well as two books: Becoming American, Remaining Ethnic (LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2008) and #Think: Critical Thinking about Social Problems (Kendall Hunt, 2017, co-authored with Vera Kennedy and Romney Norwood).

His hobbies involve doing things with his family, whether that’s going on family vacations, playing sports, playing cards or board games, or visiting other family members locally.

He and his wife Pam, a Fresno Unified teacher, will celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary on July 23.

In fall 2017, their two sons, Joshua (17) and Nicholas (14), will be freshmen at a California State University campus and Buchanan High School, respectively.