Mitra Ara

Dr. Mitra Ara is a Professor and founding director of the Persian Studies program at San Francisco State University (SFSU), within the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies, M.A. in South Asian Studies, and Ph.D. in Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on Indo-Iranian cultures, religions, mythology, cosmology, and eschatology. She has authored numerous books, including Eschatology in the Indo-Iranian Traditions and Ancient Roots of Creation and Afterlife Beliefs.

Dr. Ara established SFSU’s Persian Studies Minor, the first such program in the California State University system, emphasizing multidisciplinary exploration of Persianate societies. She has secured grants from institutions like the Department of Education and Startalk to expand language and cultural studies programs. Awards include the 2020 Distinguished Faculty Award for Service.

Her professional service includes roles on SF State’s Academic Senate Committee and the Society for Asian Art’s Advisors Committee. She teaches across departments, including Modern Languages, Philosophy, and Cinema.