Syuzanna Petrosyan

Born in what was then one of the republics of the Soviet Union, Syuzanna moved to California with her family in 2001. She is currently an Associate Director at the University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies, where she oversees programs related to the Republic of Armenia and the wider post-Soviet space. 

Syuzanna has previously worked as a Contributing Editor for the Journal of Public and International Affairs, Senior Editor for the Public Diplomacy Magazine, News Director at Annenberg Digital News site Neon Tommy, and Communications Manager at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife in Armenia. 

Syuzanna is also co-founder of the Turkey-Armenia branch of the Olive Tree Initiative at University of California, Irvine - an experiential education program that takes students on trips to conflict regions. She has Bachelor’s Degrees in Economics and International Studies from UCI, and a Master’s Degree in Public Diplomacy from USC. 

Syuzanna is a California certified mediator.