Utah State University's Honors Program is setting the stage for a unique visual voyage into the essence of shared humanity with its 50th Annual Honors Last Lecture. The lecture, free and accessible to all, will feature the renowned Iranian American artist and 2025 Honors Outstanding Professor, Fazilat Soukhakian, on October 15 from 3:30-4:30 p.m., according to USU Today. The event promises to engage not just the local community but also a wider audience via livestream, offering a deeply personal glimpse through Soukhakian's lens.
Soukhakian's lecture, titled "Not So Different After All: A Visual Story of Shared Humanity," aims to communicate a powerful message through photography, hoping to deeply resonate and prompt reflection. As one of the few female photojournalists in Iran, her transition to the United States in 2011 to eventually obtain her Master of Fine Arts and Ph.D. has only served to enrich her narrative capabilities, empowering her to continuously explore and expose the social and political dynamics through visual storytelling. Her dedication to capturing and depicting marginalization and bravery has not only earned recognition but also served to widely influence her adopted academic community.
USU's Honors students spearhead the nomination process for the Last Lecture event, putting forward faculty members whose teaching and mentorship have made a significant difference in their lives. A select committee then interviews these nominees and ultimately decides on the extraordinary professor to deliver a talk that might well be their final oration at USU. "This event engages the entire community — students, faculty, alumni, friends and other stakeholders — in celebrating the teachers and mentors who have transformed the experience of our students here at USU," Kristine Miller, professor of English and executive director of the USU Honors Program, told USU Today.
The celebration of Soukhakian's contributions doesn't end with the lecture. The event will be followed by a reception in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall lobby, providing an immediate opportunity for guests to potentially engage one-on-one with the storyteller herself. Soukhakian's commitment to her craft has brought her tremendous accolades, including the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Fellowship and the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, illustrating her impact beyond USU's halls to the art community at large. Her work has graced many prestigious galleries and has been recognized not only for its artistic quality but also for its significant contribution to important social discourse.
