Dr. Vida Davoudi Presents“Conflicts in Syria” Wednesday
Posted by Ernest Hauser
on Jan 23, 2016
Dr. Vida Davoudi is a Political Science Professor at Lonestar College – Kingwood
Dr. Vida Davoudi has a story to tell. She served in the Iranian Parliament decades ago (1975-1979) and was the only female. And guess how she first visited the United States? Rotary sponsored trip! She has an appreciation and love for Rotary, and she has spoken to many Rotary clubs over the years.
Vida G. Davoudi was born in Tehran, Iran and first came to the U.S. as an American Field Service exchange student. Shereceived her B. A. in Public Administration from theUniversity of Beirut in Lebanon and then returned to the U.S. to further her education. After receiving her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science at the University of Southern Illinois University in 1974, Dr. Davoudi returned to Iran.Running a "very Americanized campaign," she was elected as the youngest member of the Iranian Parliament and subsequently elected as one of the 12-member leadership group in the parliament. During her three and one-half years as a legislator, she represented Iran in worldwide seminars pertaining to the role of women in political development, served as the advisor to the mayor of Tehran, and was the director of the national Iranian Radio and Television. The onset of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 led Dr. Davoudi to leave Iran for Houston and she is currently Professor of Political Science at Lone Star College in Kingwood. She is the recipient of the college's Teaching Excellence Award and the DAR'steaching award.
Davoudi is also the faculty sponsor for the college's Student Government Association. She fosters leadership development in her students by actively encouraging them every year to seek state-level positions in the organization. Through her diligent efforts and advice, one of her former students was even elected to the highest level of State leadership as president of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association. She teaches her students not to simply attend college but to become leaders.
In addition to pursuing state office positions within the organization, Davoudi has led the students of SGA at Kingwood College in multiple community service projects such as food, clothing and toy drives for non-profit organizations and local area shelters for abused women and children. In the words of one of her colleagues, Dr. Davoudi is ``changing the world one student at a time.''