Students
Catherine is majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology and Human Performance, and plans to attend medical school after Stanford. She is also getting a minor in ...
Baran is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Human Biology and double minoring in Iranian Studies and Spanish. Baran was born in Iran and moved to California when she ...
Armita is a third-year student majoring in Economics and double minoring in Computer Science and Iranian Studies. Growing up between Iran and Canada, she has always felt a strong ...
Eric Markarian is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Bioengineering and Health Systems Design, with plans to attend medical school after Stanford. He is also minoring in ...
Mobina is a Hoover Student Fellow at Stanford University, where she is completing her MA in Communication with honors and a BA in Political Science with a focus on Political ...
Leily is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in International Relations with specializations in International Security and Social Development/Human Well-Being. She is also ...
Alia is a first-year undergraduate student at Stanford University majoring in Computational Biology with a minor in Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature.
Growing up in ...
Sam is a third-year Political Science major at Stanford University with a focus on Political Economy and Development as well as Data Science. He is also completing a minor in ...
Arya Shadan is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Political Science and minoring in Iranian Studies. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Arya transferred to Stanford ...
Haoran is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Anthropology. His dissertation project investigates the enduring operational lifespan of the qanat systems in Iran and China, crediting ...
Aruuke Uran Kyzy is a Ph.D. student in the History Department. Her research interests include the transnational Naqshbandi Sufi Tariqas across Central Asia, Ottoman, and Russian ...

Featured Alum: Behzad Haghgoo
Behzad Haghgoo graduated from Stanford in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science with a focus on artificial intelligence and co-founded a company that he later sold to Roblox. He reflects on his time at Stanford and the importance of studying Iran from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Featured Alum: Anna Hollingsworth
Featured Alum: Anna Hollingsworth
Anna Hollingsworth graduated from Stanford in 2016 with a B.A. in history and was the first student to receive a minor in Iranian Studies. She reflects on how her time at Stanford influenced her post-graduate journey and shares advice for current students.

Featured Alum: Daniel Khalessi
- President of the Stanford Law Review
- Startup Co-Founder
- Yenching Scholar in Beijing
- Graduate Teaching Fellow at Yale
- Office of Ambassador Susan Rice
Daniel Khalessi returned to Stanford to earn his J.D. in 2022. In 2013 he earned a B.A. in International Relations and was the first student to receive a certificate in Iranian Studies. Daniel was a Research Associate to Professor Graham Allison at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.