eConnection Interview
Meet Dr. Parviz Ansari Dr. Parviz Ansari assumed the role of provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at SIUE on July 1. Ansari had been serving as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and founding dean of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Rowan University in southern New Jersey. This professor of physics and native of Iran readily admits he knew very little about Illinois, let alone SIUE, before he discovered our University and applied for the position he now holds. But it is clear he knows a great deal about leadership, following your passion and making a difference in people’s lives, especially the lives of the students served by SIUE. He insisted we refer to him as Parviz. econnection: Parviz, what led to your fascination with physics and the desire to study the subject to the extent you have? Parviz: From the time I was very small, I was fascinated by the stars. I started collecting articles about space and what NASA was doing. As I learned more about those dots in space, I discovered the way to understand more was through physics. I applied to and attended Pahlavi University. It was one of the best universities in the country in so many areas, including science. I learned about the beauty of space and how it works, and I was hooked. One of my professors showed me the side of physics that had nothing to do with the vastness of space, but dealt with atomic space. I went from the macro level to the micro level and realized that nature is intriguing at all levels. Once I got through learning about the intricacies of how it all works, I figured it was my future to study physics.
econnection: What brought you to the United States? Parviz: I was being interviewed by a number of high-profile physicists, including Nobel Laureates, who wanted to recruit students for PhD programs in the United States. I happened to be one of the lucky ones selected, so I came here in 1976 to study physics. I was invited to go to Tufts University, where I earned a master’s in 1976 and a PhD in 1983. It was a great opportunity for me, because I came here as a 21-yearold kid with a suitcase and a lot of hope. Unfortunately, along the way, we had the revolution in Iran which changed some of my plans.
26 Fall 2014