Pardis Mahdavi

Pardis Mahdavi is an American scholar, author, and university administrator. She is the founder of MyUni and serves on the Board of Directors for the Lumina Foundation. Mahdavi previously served as the Provost and Executive Vice President at the University of Montana, the Dean of Social Sciences at Arizona State University, and the Acting Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. From 2006 to 2017, she held academic and administrative roles at Pomona College, including Professor and Chair of Anthropology, Director of the Pacific Basin Institute, and Dean of Women. In August 2023, Mahdavi became President of the University of La Verne, serving until June 2024.

Education Mahdavi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College. She subsequently received a Master of International Affairs (M.I.A.) and a Master of Arts in Anthropology from Columbia University, where she also completed a Ph.D. in Sociomedical Sciences and Anthropology.

Career From 2006 to 2017, Mahdavi taught at Pomona College, serving as Professor and Chair of Anthropology, Director of the Pacific Basin Institute, and Dean of Women. In August 2023, she became the 19th President of the University of La Verne, a role she held until June 2024.

Research Mahdavi’s research focuses on labor, migration, gender, sexuality, human rights, youth culture, transnational feminism, and public health, particularly within Middle Eastern contexts. Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowship (2009–2010) American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (2010) Asia Society Fellowship (2009)