Elizabeth Manoukian Classroom at AUA Ignites Passion and Knowledge

Elizabeth Manoukian Classroom at AUA Ignites Passion and Knowledge

Elizabeth Manoukian (1933 - 2020)

Classroom 614M in the AUA Main Building proudly displays the name of a remarkable woman who devoted her life to her beloved Armenia: Elizabeth Manoukian. Through a planned gift to AUA, Elizabeth was able to pass on a legacy that will continue to inspire students and faculty who use the classroom to share knowledge, collaborate, and shape the bright minds of the next generation of leaders in Armenia. 

Elizabeth was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria, and attended the American University of Beirut in Lebanon where she received her B.S. in Pharmacy and M.S. in Pharmacology. She then moved to the United States and worked in a senior position as a pharmacology researcher for Syntex and later for Roche and Corium in Silicon Valley.

In Beirut – during the 1960s and into the 1970s – she helped lead the national awakening events of the 50th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. She actively participated in the formation of the pioneering student organization, the Lebanese Armenian University Students’ Union, alongside Shavarsh Torigian and other academics, and was a founding member of the Armenian Church University Students’ Association, established in 1963 by His Holiness Karekin II.

Elizabeth’s spirit and devotion will continue to inspire all students who pass by or study in classroom 614M at the American University of Armenia for years to come.