Source:
The Institute of International
Education (IIE)
The
Institute of International Education (IIE) is proud to honor three women from
the Iranian American community in New York – Laya Khadjavi, Roya
Khadjavi-Heidari, and Nazgol Saati Shahbazi –
with the first-ever IIE Women's Global Leadership Award at the organization's
90th anniversary gala in New York on Wednesday, September 23rd.
IIE is
celebrating these women for their leadership in involving the Iranian community
in the U.S. in improving cultural and educational relations between Iran and the
United States.
The Iran
Opportunities Fund, established by these three remarkable women together with
IIE Trustee Maryam Panahy Ansary, is a unique public-private partnership
dedicated to fostering mutual understanding through international educational
exchange. Over the past three years the program has brought more than thirty
Iranian graduate students to the United States to teach Persian at colleges and
universities across the country, due in large part to Laya, Roya and Nazgol's
passion and generosity.
Institute
of International Education
809
United Nations Plaza | New York, NY 10017
www.iie.org
Co-founders of the Iran Opportunities Fund and Recipients of the Inaugural IIE
Women's Global Leadership Award
Laya
Khadjavi
is a Managing Director and head of the Markets Group of Morgan Stanley Smith
Barney. Throughout her 22-year career at Morgan Stanley, Laya has held a
succession of leadership and senior management positions in the Firm's
Institutional Securities Group before joining the Wealth Management division in
2008. Laya began her professional career at Salomon Brothers in 1984.
Laya is a
co-founder and staunch supporter of the Iran Opportunities Fund under the
auspices of the Institute of International Education. Laya is a member of the
Board of Directors of Wildcat Service Corporation, a member of the Board of
Trustees of Resurrection Episcopal Day School in Manhattan, and a Trustee of the
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian-Americans. In 2008 Laya received The Ellis
Island Medal of Honor Award.
Laya holds
a BS in applied mathematics-economics and a BA in French literature from Brown
University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Laya, her husband Hamid
Biglari and their two children Roxana and Mandana live in New York City.
Roya Khadjavi Heidari
is a strong
proponent of understanding and peace through international exchange. She brings
this awareness to New York City by sponsoring events that feature Iran's rich
heritage. She is active at the Institute of International Education, and
co-founder of the Iran Opportunities Fund which provides young Iranian scholars
with a unique opportunity to teach the Persian language at over 20 U.S. colleges
and universities.
Roya serves
on the board of trustees of the Lycee Francais de New York, focusing on leading
the school's fundraising efforts. In 2008 she became the recipient of the most
prestigious academic award by the French Minister of Education and was nominated
Chevalier dans l'Ordres des Palmes Academiques, for her service to the French
culture.
A Wellesley
College graduate, Roya began her career in fashion merchandising in 1984. She
left Lord & Taylor in 1994 to become the vice president of sales and marketing
for Yves Saint Laurent ready-to-wear in North America. Roya is married to
Massoud Heidari and has two children, Layla and Amir.
Nazgol Saati Shahbazi
was born in Tehran, Iran where she lived until 1978. She earned her BA in
economics and political science from Tufts University and received her MBA in
finance from Columbia Business School in 1985.
She then
joined Bankers Trust Company where her fifteen year career spanned from the LBO
Group in Los Angeles to the Private Equity, Restructuring Advisory and
Distressed Debt Trading Groups in New York. She is currently working with
KSPartners, a family owned real estate investment and management company.
Nazgol is
involved with numerous charitable organizations for Iran and children around the
world, including The Popli Charitable Foundation and The Learning Leaders. Along
with Ms. Khadjavi and Ms. Heidari, Nazgol has co-founded the Iran Opportunity
Fund to promote peace and improve cultural and educational relations between
Iran and the United States. She lives in New York City with her husband, Kambiz
Shahbazi, and two children, Sarvenaz and Tirdad.
... Payvand News - 09/17/09 ... --
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