Hamid Shirvani
| Hamid Shirvani | |
|---|---|
| California State University, Stanislaus | |
| Term | 2005 – |
| Predecessor | Marvalene Hughes |
| Born | Tehran, Iran |
| Website | www.csustan.edu/President/ |
Hamid Shirvani is a scholar of architecture and urban design and President of California State University, Stanislaus.
Shirvani has been in higher education since 1979, and since 1986 in senior executive leadership and management posts, managing budgets up to $135 million and more than 1200 people.[1] He has also served as architecture, urban design and land planning consultant to various public agencies and private development companies; most recently, as chief design consultant for the 3,400-acre (14 km2) Orange County Great Park.
He holds a BA in Architecture from the Polytechnic of Central London, a M.Arch from Pratt Institute, a M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.L.A. from Harvard University and both an M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University.[1]
Currently, Shirvani is President of the California State University, Stanislaus. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as Provost and Executive Vice President at Chapman University; Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research at Queens College, City University of New York; Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell; and Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver. In addition, he has served on the faculties of the State University of New York at Syracuse and the Pennsylvania State University.
Shirvani has authored three books—Design Review Process (1981), The Urban Design Process (1985), Beyond Public Architecture (1990)—as well as several dozen papers in various refereed and professional journals and several dozen papers at national and international conferences.
In addition, Shirvani served as editor and/or on the editorial board of Journal of Architectural Education (1988–94); Avant Garde (1988–94); Journal of Planning Education and Research (1987–93); Urban Design and Presentation Quarterly (1987–89); Journal of the American Planning Association (1983–85); UD Review (1982–87); and Art and Architecture (1974–78). In October 2004, he was awarded the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and was invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. He was invested as a Knight in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 2009. Sir Hamid Shirvani is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, Recipient of Special Commendation by the American Institute of Architects (2003) for his contributions in the fields of architecture and urban design, Recipient of the Seikyo Culture Award of Japan (1999) and is listed in the Who’s Who in the World. Sir Hamid Shirvani has lectured at 27 international and 48 U.S. universities, several dozen public and private agencies, and professional societies. He is also the recipient of grants from National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, United States Department of Education, DeWitt Wallace – Reader’s Digest Fund and Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation. For his distinguished service and significant scholarly and academic achievements, Soka University (Japan) bestowed upon him the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2003. In 2007 and again in 2009, the statewide student government body of the 23-campus California State University system recognized Shirvani as “President of the Year.”[2]
Shirvani has served on the Board of Directors of Competition Inc., the United Way, ICMT, Inc., the American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on International Initiatives, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Committee on Professional Development, and the Higher Education Consortium of Central California (HECCC) and is currently serving as a member of the Executive Committee of International Association of University Presidents (IAUP),the IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament, Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace, the AASCU Committee on Economic and Workforce Development, the Governing Board of the Stockton Site Authority, the City of Turlock Beautification Committee, and the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC). He also serves as the Chairman of the Turlock Business Council.
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[edit] Positions held
- President of California State University, Stanislaus. (2005–Present)
- Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs of Chapman University (2000–2005)
- Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research at Queens College of the City University of New York (1995–2000)
- Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell (1992–1995)
- Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado at Denver (1986–1990)
[edit] Controversies
In April 2010, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced an investigation to accusations that the university officials including Hamid Shirvani violated public records laws when they refused to reveal the financial details of a contract with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to speak at a university fundraiser, and allegedly shredded documents related to the agreement.[3]
The contract was reportedly found in a recycling bin along with other CSU documents. These were found by two unnamed CSUS students after a tip they received stating that there was documents being shredded at the CSU on a Furlough Day. In August 2010, the Attorney General concluded his investigation and found that there was no misappropriation of funds by the Foundation and no violation of law. [4]
In November 2009 the General Faculty of CSU Stanislaus voted for a measure of No Confidence in CSU Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani. The motivation for the vote according to the Academic Senate was "Shirvani’s abandonment of the shared governance process, the deteriorating working relationship between Shirvani and faculty, and Shirvani’s seeming lack of understanding of the mission of the CSU system." [5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Biography of Hamid Shirvani". http://www.calstate.edu/administration/bios/presidents/shirvani.shtml. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ [1]
- ^ ABC News 2010
- ^ [2]
- ^ Turlock Journal November 2009,
