Family establishes the Dr. Hassan Vaziri Memorial Scholarship

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Dr. Shirine Tabatabai Mafi, ’77, ’79, and Shahrokh Mafi have established the Dr. Hassan Vaziri Memorial Scholarship. Shirine Mafi, niece of Vaziri, says their family’s wish is to help young medical students reach their dreams of becoming physicians.

Vaziri immigrated from Iran to redo his residency program, first in New York City and then in Cleveland, Ohio, at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Upon completion of his residency program at Mt. Sinai, he joined the staff at Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children in Milton, West Virginia. Vaziri then moved his family to Huntington to establish his orthopedic surgery practice. A beloved leader in the Huntington community until the end of his life, Vaziri was a kind and caring person. Countless relatives and children of friends of Vaziri attended Marshall University because of his presence in Huntington.

“Dr. Vaziri was my mother’s older brother. My husband, Shahrokh, was the son of Dr. Mafi, one of Dr. Vaziri’s best friends in medical school,” explained Shirine Mafi. “My parents sent my two older sisters, Mariam and Zari Tabatabai, to Marshall and I followed in their footsteps. We all came because my parents felt safer sending their daughters thousands of miles away to be close to our uncle.”

The Dr. Hassan Vaziri Memorial Scholarship will benefit first year medical students who have financial need per the Office of Student Financial Assistance, with first preference to students born outside the United States. The family hopes that the recipient will see the value of community service and one day pay it forward and establish his or her own scholarship to help students at Marshall University.

“Be open-minded and unafraid of people or thoughts that may appear different,” said Shirine Mafi, as words of encouragement to future medical students. “It’s important they (today’s students) realize the world is much older and larger than just Huntington, or West Virginia, or even the United States of America. Their decisions either directly or indirectly have an impact on their patients, their community and the world. They should utilize their education for the good of the public. They should foster the type of world they want to live in and leave for future generations.”

Date Posted: Monday, February 18, 2019