The award includes a $500,000 grant to each honoree’s institution. Stevens said the money will help fund academic initiatives.
The award was established in 2005 to reflect the conviction of Andrew Carnegie that education and knowledge are fundamental tools for strengthening democracy and creating a more vibrant civil society, according to the corporation.
Farvardin has been leading academic initiatives since he came to the school in 2011, spearheading a 10-year strategic plan called “The Future. Ours to Create.”
Since then, applications to the school have increased by more than 100 percent, while enrollment is up more than 28 percent.
The school recently was ranked No. 69 on the list of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, the third-highest ranking of schools based in the state and 19 spots higher than when Farvardin took over.
In honoring Farvardin, the Carnegie Corp. cited a number of institutional accomplishments, among them that he and Stevens:
- Invested in faculty members, support services for students, new academic and research facilities and new classroom technology;
- Emphasized experiential learning opportunities as a way for students to connect their education to work in their chosen fields;
- Facilitated a 365 percent increase in students participating in international programs;
- Oversaw increased applications and improved retention and graduation rates.
Farvardin and Stevens join a select list of honorees.
This year’s list includes leaders from Northeastern (Joseph Aoun), Georgetown (John DeGioia), Harvey Mudd (Maria Klawe), Case Western Reserve (Barbara R. Snyder), Georgia State (Mark Becker) and Montgomery College (DeRionne Pollard).
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