Heravi, Mehdi, 1940-

Dr. Mehdi Heravi was born in Tehran, Iran. A native of Iran, Heravi was educated as a child and young teen in England, before successfully petitioning his father to allow him to pursue higher education in the United States. He attended Logan High School to finish his secondary education, then attended Utah State University (USU) where he received his bachelor’s degree (1963) and master’s degree (1964). He earned a PhD from American University's School of International Service. Heravi worked at the National University of Iran and Razi University where, prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution, he held senior administrative posts including vice president and provost. Later, he returned to the United States, where he was a professor at Tennessee Tech. After retirement, Heravi settled in the Washington DC area, where he focused his time on philanthropy, providing support to academic programs and charities, including an orphanage in Iran. His generosity at USU has led to a new building for Global Languages and Cultures (2024), the largest number of endowed individual scholarships at the institution, and the Heravi Peace Institute, which was created in 2022. In addition to his involvement at USU, he sits on the Board at the American University.