News

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l:l1n Professor

of sciences

realizes

dream

Cyrus Pour, professor of sciences at Trevecca, has realized one his dreams. After fifteen years of dedication to the application process, earlier this year he became an American citizen. The ceremony was held on January 27, 2005, at 1:00 P.M. at the federal courthouse in Nashville. Pour came to the United States with the intention of obtaining a higher education. He was raised in Quatar under Muslim teachings and spent summers studying at Cambridge University in England. His own devotion to learning instilled an appreciation for education that inspires him to learn and to help others learn. He knew at an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in an academic setting.
Pour stands with his students in one of the science classrooms. Photo courtesy of Chris Farrell

For Pour the United States of America had an image of greatness. From the moment when Americans landed on the moon, Pour says that he was intrigued by American and what it had to offer him and to the world. He held onto that image of greatness throughout the complications involved in his efforts to become an American citizen. After Pour came to the United States from Iran in June of 1985, American citizenship soon became a goal. In order to become a citizen he had to obtain residency, the first step of a multi-year process for application for citizenship. The grant or denial of residency takes two years or more, and the grant or denial of citizenship takes three to five years depending on the applicant's marital status. In Pour's case, his application for residency was lost, and he had to begin the process a second time. During the time he was completing the necessary processes for citizenship, he was attended school. Following graduation from Trevecca, he taught at Fisk University before returning to Trevecca to teach. During the summer he continues his relationship with Fisk, working for NASA as a director of NASA's student research program. Pour and Eugene Collins of Fisk University coordinate the program and select undergraduate participants for the program. Students receive compensation for research in surface physics, nanophase material and material science, electro-optics, and informatics. Pour is a favorite professor of students more than excellent teaching qualities. integrates faith in learning and that he outside of class. Pour teaches physics, programming, general science. at Trevecca. He is known for His students report that he is willing to meet with students chemistry, computer

Almost twenty years after coming to America, Pour now enjoys a new status: he is an American.

3/3/2005,

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3/3/2005