Who Is Mehdi Heravi?

Mehdi Heravi came to Logan and then to Utah State University as a teenager from Iran, bringing with him an attitude of curiosity and a desire to build connections in his new home.

This determination to make friends wherever he goes has accompanied Heravi on a life that has seen him work and travel extensively in the US and abroad, but he has never forgotten the transformational time he had at USU, and Heravi continues to support a new generation of Aggies.

Having enabled the largest individual number of named scholarships at USU, including the Heravi Peace Scholars, he is helping students succeed through gifts not only to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences but also to education, agriculture, and other academic units across campus.

Heravi’s enduring generosity and his desire to see the university continue to make global connections in the spirit of “freedom, friendship, and peace” makes the Heravi Peace Institute a fitting tribute.

As we consider Heravi’s own experience as an international student, we are excited to create opportunities to prepare all Aggies for the global stage and to encourage meaningful and lasting connections, near and far.

“I hope this…will be an institute of opportunity to promote peace, advocate freedom [and] friendship, and to campaign for justice and equality. Peace is the answer, not war, and for this institute I have high hopes.” – Mehdi Heravi

Want to help students on their peacebuilding journeys? Visit https://chass.usu.edu/peace-institute/giving