Professor Abbas Milani
Abbas Milani, the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies, was recently recognized by the Stanford Alumni Association as the winner of the 2017 Richard W. Lyman Award.
The award, which was established in 1983 in honor of President Emeritus Richard W. Lyman, recognizes one outstanding faculty member for extraordinary service to the alumni community and Stanford Alumni Association programs. Recipients generously donate time to alumni, go beyond the expectations of University appointments and embody the mission of Stanford Alumni Association.
In the announcement of the award, the SAA posted the following to their website:
Since the moment he arrived on campus in 2003, Abbas Milani began volunteering for Stanford. He’s participated in almost all of our alumni programs, including regional club events, Classes Without Quizzes, Sierra Camp, Leading Matters and most notably, Travel/Study. A great Stanford ambassador, he receives rave reviews from alumni everywhere he goes.
With current events in the Middle East being top of mind for many Stanford alumni, Abbas is frequently requested as a regional speaker. He brings both breadth and depth to timely and relevant discussions, bringing the subject to life for Stanford alumni and brilliantly fielding questions.
Abbas is an exceptional Travel/Study faculty leader and has traveled to places like Turkey, the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Oregon, Egypt and more. His lectures are erudite, yet down to earth and have been described as “mesmerizing.” Not only is Abbas a great lecturer, but he is focused on delivering the best educational experience possible for alumni. On trips he has regularly scheduled lectures, which he gives brilliantly, but also goes out of his way to make himself accessible and useful to the travelers.
He is as comfortable in the theaters of Ashland as he is in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, or a mosque in Morocco. And his ability to put travelers at ease combined with his passion to share his knowledge about, and his love for, his subjects and his country are truly extraordinary.
Abbas embodies what SAA looks for in a faculty speaker. He is generous with his time, responsive to alumni requests, happy to travel far and wide, and graciously works with staff to help bring the great work happening at Stanford out to our alumni.