Professor of History  

Phone: 740.351.3127 or 740.351.3223
Fax: 740.351.3153
Location: Vern Riffe Center for the Arts, Room 131

Academic Background

Ph.D., Princeton University, 1974

M.A., Harvard University

B.A., Miami University

Book Published:

Historical Dictionary of Iran (2002) Scarecrow Press; ISBN: 0810829940

Book description: Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has been exerting a dynamic and violent influence throughout the vital Middle East. In order to understand this new regime better, the entries in this dictionary place the greatest emphasis on modern Iranian political history and focus on political and cultural figures. In addition, significant attention is paid to American involvement in Iran. An excellent starting point for understanding modern Iran, the "Historical Dictionary of Iran" offers a lengthy chronology and a large bibliography that experts and interested readers can use to better comprehend the complexities of a culture that has endured a parade of foreign influences and invasions.

John H. Lorentz first encountered Iran as a Peace Corps volunteer and he resided in the Middle East for five years. He has worked as a consultant on Middle East affairs and as Executive Director of American Aid for Afghans in the 1980s. At SSU he is the director of the  Center for International Programs & Activities (CIPA). He teaches courses on the history and modern society of the Middle East. 

Lorentz is also the producer of the highly acclaimed documentary River Voices, a film about the devastating 1937 Ohio river flood.  Click the link above to visit the web site for this documentary.