The Eastern Diocese is pleased to announce the appointment of Dn. Hovannes Khosdeghian as the new director of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center, the Diocese’s research and information facility housed in the St. Vartan Cathedral complex in New York City.

Dn. Hovannes brings to the position a distinguished background in Armenian scholarship, education, and service to the church. Trained as a scholar during his education as a member of the Mekhitarist order, he has devoted much of his career to teaching and promoting the Armenian language, culture, and Christian heritage.

This marks a return to the Zohrab Center for Dn. Hovannes, who was an associate scholar on its staff during the 1990s. More recently, in 2024, he re-joined the Diocesan staff to head the Armenian Language programs in the Ministries department. In that role he has created Armenian-language resources for students of all ages, from university-level learners to young children.

Dn. Hovannes will continue to lead the Diocese’s Armenian Language Ministry effort, while overseeing the Zohrab Center’s extensive collection and continuing its mission as a resource for scholars, students, and the wider public interested in Armenian history, religion, language, literature, and culture. He succeeds Dr. Jesse Arlen, who led the Zohrab Center through a productive period of scholarship and programming.

Since 1987, the Zohrab Center has served as an important intellectual and cultural ministry of the Eastern Diocese, bringing Armenian scholarship to a broad audience through its library and research resources, lectures, conferences, and educational programs.