Hundreds attended the formal installation ceremony for President Pardis Mahdavi, PhD, an internationally recognized higher education leader, academic, anthropologist and author.
LA VERNE, Calif. , Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The inauguration of Pardis Mahdavi, PhD, held Oct. 13, 2023, was a celebration of the University of La Verne's 19th president and the institution's core values, collective impact, and commitment to bridging educational excellence, equality, and innovation with the region and beyond. Held on the historic Southern California campus in the City of La Verne, the event featured community, culture, and collected thoughts from esteemed guests and the president on the university's impact in the next era.
"We are all standing together on a bridge. Our bridge has been built with the bricks of who we are. An institution founded by a Church (of the Brethren) whose values built the Peace Corps –-- one of the greatest peace-making and bridge-building entities of our time," said Mahdavi in her inaugural address. "We are a university that trains and produces students who go out and transform the communities in which they live. We are a community that wraps each other in love and picks each other up when we fall. We are the model of higher education because we embrace the AND - breadth AND depth; professional skills AND critical thinking; access AND excellence; pedagogy AND research AND inclusive prosperity."
During the event, Jad Abumrad, founder and former host of the popular radio show, Radiolab, shared how he finds solace in Mahdavi's words to "own your narrative" even when times get tough. Other speakers like Anthony Tirado Chase, professor of diplomacy and world affairs, Elizabeth Chin, American Anthropologist editor-in-chief and media design professor, and Mariko Silver, the Henry Luce Foundation president and CEO, shared personal stories of how knowing Mahdavi has made them faithful in a brighter, more inclusive, future with her at the leadership helm.
"Pardis doesn't rearrange furniture, she moves mountains," Chin said about Mahdavi's ability to dismantle unjust practices wherever she leads.
Mahdavi took office as president of the University of La Verne on August 15, 2023. She began during a year when the university welcomed its largest-ever fall incoming class. She leads a campus that enrolls more than 5,500 students; employs 1,870 faculty, staff and administrators; and partners with numerous community and business partners.
Mahdavi is an internationally recognized and highly accomplished higher education leader, academic, and author. She has spent more than 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as the provost and executive vice president at the University of Montana.
Learn more about Mahdavi on her bio page and see highlights of the event on the university inauguration page.
About the University of La Verne:
The University of La Verne is a nonprofit comprehensive institution offering a wide range of liberal arts and professional programs incorporating the same core values it was founded on in 1891 – lifelong learning, ethical reasoning, civic and community engagement, and diversity and inclusivity. With more than 70 percent of students from underrepresented groups, the federally designated Minority- and Hispanic-serving institution is among the most diverse small private universities in the nation. The Southern California-based university has five colleges and offers classes at the historic La Verne campus, through regional campuses, and online. The University of La Verne is nationally recognized and consistently holds rankings on the U.S. News & World Report National University, Best Value Schools, Top Performers on Social Mobility, and Best Online Programs list. Learn more about the university at laverne.edu.
Media Contact
Jamie K. Ayala, University of La Verne, 909448-4999, [email protected], https://laverne.edu/
SOURCE University of La Verne
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