Global Citizens of the Present
The Global Persian Citizen Of The Present
The Persian people throughout history have an enduring legacy of global contributions rising from the cultural value placed on knowledge, innovation, progressive thinking, education, and personal achievement. This heritage is exemplified by present day global citizens through continued advancements in science, technology, medicine and the arts.
This sample of global citizens represents men and women who stand out as leaders in their field as scientists, athletes, educators, entrepreneurs, journalists, artists and humanitarians. They carry on the Persian legacy of achievement and inspire the up and coming generation of global citizens.
Abbas Ardehali
Abbas Ardehali
This video features Arhdhali speaking on UCLA Performing the First Breathing Lung Transplant in the U.S.

Asghar Farhadi
Asghar Farhadi
Earned worldwide acclaim and two Oscars for domestic dramas like “A Separation”, “The Past” and “The Salesman”.
This video shows Farhadi as he describes the film making process in an interview.
Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour
CNN Chief International Correspondent. She has been named CBE (a British honor awarded by the Queen of England)
In this video with Amanpour, she speaks to the roles and responsibility of women and equality.
Golshifteh Farahani
Golshifteh Farahani
Iranian actress and singer. She won the Best Actress Award for Boutique from the 26th Nantes Three Continents Festival (France).
This video features an interview with Farahani describing her recent work.
Lily Afshar
Lily Afshar
Won the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Female Classical Guitarist, as well as the “Premier Guitarist” awards by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc.
This video is a beautiful performance from Afshar
Majid Samii
Majid Samii
The world renowned Iranian scientist in neurological surgery who has garnered the 2014 Golden Neuron Award, and educated more than a thousand neurosurgeons around the world.
This article from the International Neuroscience Institute provides details of the prestigious accomplishments of Samii.
Maryam Mirzakhani
Maryam Mirzakhani
Masood Khatamee
Featured Bio
Masood Khatamee
Masood Khatamee, MD, FACOG, was awarded the 2008 Congressional Medal of Distinction. He is Executive Director of the Fertility Research Foundation (FRF) and a Professor at the NYU School of Medicine. His role at the FRF involves innovation and advocacy around the treatment and prevention of infertility. Dr. Khatamee is the co-author of Dr. Are You Listening A Couple’s Struggle To Find The Right Fertility Doctor and author of Mr. President Are You Listening. Click the image below to learn more about his work on his website for the Fertility Research Foundation.
Dr. Masood Khatamee, MD, FACOG
Dr. Masood Khatamee
Following the legacy of ancient Persian heritage highlighted by historical contributions in the field of medicine such as Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna), Dr. Masood Khatamee was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Banou, Inc. at the traditional celebration of Nowruz on March 16, 2018.
This is just one of the innumerable awards recognizing Dr. Khatamee’s lifetime of dedication to his passionate work as a doctor in the field of women’s health.
An Iranian American doctor, Dr Khatamee is a Scholar, humanitarian, world-renowned speaker and currently serves as Executive Director of the Fertility Research Foundation and Clinical Professor at the New York University Medical Center department of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Khatamee is the founder and director of the Society for the Prevention of Human Infertility. His diverse recognition even includes the award for New York Businessman of the Year in 2001 & 2005. But again, this list does not begin to represent the depth or breadth of his global impact.
From the start, Khatamee’s education was concentrated in the field of women’s reproductive health. He was a graduate of Shiraz University School of Medicine in 1961. His education continued with completing internships at Namazee Hospital, Shiraz and Queens Hospital Center and as Resident and Chief Resident at the New York University Bellevue Hospital. His continuing education includes work with the World Health Organization in Tehran and Cambridge University. These are only highlights from his extensive education which alone could fill a book.
In addition to authoring 3 books; Sex Education (Chehr Publishing Co., Iran, 1970) Doctor, Are You Listening? Co-Authored with Linda Perelman Pohl (Publisher Fertility Research Foundation publishing, USA, 2008) and Mr. President, Are You Listening? (published by Fertility Research Foundation publishing, USA, 2012), Dr. Masood has contributed more than 118 articles, 37 presentations, 2 recordings and 35 television interviews. He has organized and chaired fundraising activities and 31 scientific programs worldwide. He has been honored at the white house receiving Physician of the Year, The White House, 2002-2003 and the Ronald Reagan Gold Medal 2004, 2005. Dr. Khatamee’s involvement has even extended to the US Congress where he was instrumental in passing The Infertility Prevention bill and establishing an interagency task force to develop a national strategy to combat the infertility.
The generous funding which has enabled scientists, including Dr. Khatamee, to conduct research and achieve groundbreaking advances in the fields of Obstetrics, Gynecology and reproductive medicine is comprised of grants, scholarships, awards and donations directly attributable to the reputation, recognition and irrefutable expertise of Dr. Khatamee’s life work. The results: the testing, diagnosis treatment, care, safety, success and resources available to women who desperately struggle with infertility have enabled women and families around the world to experience the inexplicable joy of holding their newborn baby.
Click Here To Read The Full Details Of Dr. Khatamee’s Career and Accomplishments
Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi
This video shows Djawadi performing “Game of Thrones – Light of the Seven Concert experience”
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Iranian lawyer, writer, and teacher, who received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights.
This video features Ebadi’s Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Acceptance.
Notable Iranian Americans
Notable Iranian Americans
Iranian-Americans of all Iranian ethnic backgrounds, have made significant contributions to the global community in such areas as Science, Arts, Business, Technology and Politics to name a few. The Iranian Americans featured in Wikipedia include those who have obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
We invite you to add to this ever growing list.
Nader Engheta
Featured Bio
Dr. Nader Engheta, Global Leader in The Field Of Physics
Dr. Nader Engheta
On November 2, 2020, in recognition of global leadership in the field of physics the Institute of Physics (IOP) awarded the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize to the Iranian American scientist Nader Engheta. AS a pioneer in the field of nanoscale optics and metamaterials. The IOP reports the selection of Engheta as recipient of this award honors his “groundbreaking innovation and transformative contributions to electromagnetic complex materials and nanoscale optics, and for pioneering development of the fields of near-zero-index metamaterials, and material-inspired analogue computation and optical nanocircuitry. Engheta commented “I am very honored and humbled to be the recipient of the 2020 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics (UK).”
Engheta earned his BSc in electrical engineering at the University of Tehran graduating in 1978. He continued his education, earning hid MS and PhD in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. In 1987 Engheta moved to the University of Pennsylvania where he currently serves as the Nedwill Ramsey Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering. He is also affiliated with the departments Bioengineering, materials science and engineering, and Physics and Astronomy.
An abridged version of Engheta’s Awards (full list here) Honors & Awards include:
- 2017 Honorary Doctoral Degree from Ukraine’s National Technical University, Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute
- 2016 Honorary Doctoral Degree (Dr. rer. nat. h.c.) from the University of Stuttgart, Germany
- 2016 Honorary Doctor of Science in Technology from Aalto University in Finland 2015 SPIE Gold Medal
- 2015, 2012 IEEE Achievement awards
- National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow (NSSEFF, also known as the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow) Award from Department of Defense (DoD)
- 2013 Inaugural SINA (Spirit of Iranian Noted Achiever) Award in Engineering
Notable Iranians Across The Globe
Notable Iranians Across The Globe
Throughout history and into the present day, Iranian or Persian men and women have made significant contributions to the global community in many fields of study, from citizenship in countries across the globe and spanning hundreds of years of history.
We invite you to add to this ever growing list.