University of La Verne President Pardis Mahdavi Abruptly Resigns After Ten Months

Pardis Mahdavi, the nineteenth president of the University of La Verne in California, announced her immediate resignation on June 7. She assumed her presidency in August 2023, making her the second woman to hold the position.

In an email to the campus community, Dr. Mahdavi wrote, “It is with a very heavy heart and profound regret that I write to inform you that I am resigning my post as president of the University of La Verne for personal reasons, effective today. It has been an honor to serve this outstanding community, and I want to thank each one of you for your support. Please know that I will always be cheering you on from the sidelines.”

Prior to assuming the presidency of the University of La Verne, Dr. Mahdavi briefly served as provost at the University of Montana. She has held several leadership positions within higher education including dean of social sciences at Arizona State University, acting dean of the School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and dean of women and anthropology chair at Pomona College in California. Her academic career has focused on diversity, inclusion, human trafficking, migration, sexuality, human rights, feminism and public health. She has authored several books including Book of Queens: The True Story of the Middle Eastern Horsewomen Who Fought the War on Terror (Hachette Books, 2023) and Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2008).

Dr. Mahdavi is a graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she majored in diplomacy and world affairs. She holds a master’s degree in anthropology, a master of international affairs degree, and a Ph.D. in sociomedical sciences and anthropology from Columbia University in New York City.