Dr. Mehdi Heravi was born in Tehran, Iran. As a child, he attended an English boarding school. He moved to Logan, Utah, for high school and remained in Logan for his undergraduate degree at USU. He received his Ph.D. from the American University School of International Service. After teaching at Tennessee Technological University for six years, he returned to Iran, where he was the Vice President at the National University of Iran.

After retirement, Mehdi began work in philanthropy, giving support to academic programs and charities, including an orphanage in Iran and Cerebral Palsy research. At USU, he has funded numerous scholarships, including an endowed fellowship opportunity for students working in the Special Collections and Archives. Heravi has also funded the A. A. Heravi Atrium and the Mehdi Heravi Faculty Seminar Room in the Merrill-Cazier Library. Most recently, he funded the construction of a new building on campus, the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center. In addition to his philanthropic endeavors, Heravi has also received numerous accolades over the years, including the 2015 American University Alumnus of the Year and an honorary degree from USU in 2019.