Mitra Ara
Mitra Ara
()
Professor
College of Liberal and Creative Arts
Bio:
Dr. Mitra Ara is a cultural historian, professor, and founding director of the Persian Studies program in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts at San Francisco State University. As a cultural historian, she teaches courses for the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Cinema, International Relations, and Middle East Studies. She earned her B.A. in Religious Studies, her M.A. in South Asian Studies with a focus on Sanskrit and Avestan religious texts, and her Ph.D. in Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests include Indo-Iranian peoples, religions, mythology, cosmology, and eschatology. Alongside her philanthropic efforts, her research has taken her around the world. She is an artist, photographer, translator, and the author of several books, including Eschatology in the Indo-Iranian Traditions: The Genesis and Transformation of a Doctrine; A Lexicon of the Persian Language of Shiraz; Systematic Guide to Reading and Writing Persian Language (1st and 2nd editions); Quatrains of Omar Khayyam: Astronomer-Poet of Persia, Metamorphosis of Nothingness; Do You See What I See (Volumes I & II); and Ancient Roots of Creation and Afterlife Beliefs; along with numerous articles, conference presentations, workshops, colloquies, and public talks. By establishing the first and only multidisciplinary Persian Studies Minor program within the California State University system, Dr. Ara has created a unique academic resource for understanding, studying, and appreciating world cultural heritage. This minor program allows students and faculty to explore history, religions, languages, literatures, arts, and cultures in their various forms. It provides a broad perspective that encompasses the diverse geographic and linguistic landscape of Asia's historic and contemporary Persianate societies. She is the principal investigator and recipient of grants from various U.S. institutions, including the Department of Education, Parsa Community Foundation, Startalk, and the Strategic Language Initiative, to establish and expand the Persian and Iranian studies programs at California State University and San Francisco State University. In 2011, she received the faculty’s Special Recognition Award from the Office of International Programs for outstanding contributions and service to the international student community. The same year, she was honored with the Strategic Language Initiative Consortium’s Special Award for Leadership, Dedication, and Excellence. In 2012, the Institute of International Education awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation for her teaching and mentorship. In 2020, she was chosen by the faculty honors and awards committee to receive the College of Liberal & Creative Arts' Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Service at San Francisco State University. She has served on diverse academic boards, including SF State's Academic Senate Committee, Curriculum Review & Appeal Committee, and Fellowships Office Committee. She also continues to serve on the Advisors Committee of the Society for Asian Art.
Professor Ara's books on Amazon:
- Ancient Roots of Creation and Afterlife Beliefs
- Systematic Guide to Reading and Writing Persian Language (Second Edition)
- Quatrains of Omar Khayyam, Astronomer-Poet of Persia: Metamorphosis of Nothingness
- Do You See What I See - Book I
- Do You See What I See - Book II
- Systematic Guide to Reading and Writing Persian Language: In Naskh & Nasta'liq Styles (First Edition)
- A Lexicon of the Persian Language of Shiraz
- Eschatology in the Indo-Iranian Traditions: The Genesis and Transformation of a Doctrine