A research fellow

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, where I study the issues of social divides and polarisation, specifically how different racial groups perceive each other. My research reveals significant dehumanisation and negative feelings across groups that contribute to societal polarisation. To address this, I focus on developing and evaluating programmes that foster empathy, compassion, and bridge-building to promote harmony among groups.

My journey

Azim Premji University set me up for a successful career as an educational researcher. It profoundly impacted my understanding of social realities, revealing the power dynamics of caste, class, and gender. It also provided me with a solid theoretical foundation and extensive field experience, inspiring me to immerse myself in diverse educational settings from Maharashtra SCERT to schools in Chhattisgarh, the Northeast, and Ladakh. Moreover, it gave me friends from every state in India. In a nutshell, the Azim Premji University changed my life!

After University, I served as faculty at Jnana Prabodhini’s Institute of Psychology (JPIP), Pune, focusing on equitable talent development — an area I began studying with Ankur Madan at Azim Premji University. 

The University’s emphasis on social justice prompted me to explore the experiences of high-ability learners in India’s rural and tribal areas. A critical (and painful) insight was the lack of resources and opportunities for talent development in these regions, risking the loss of rural talent. 

This led me to design and conduct a five-year talent development programme for students in Arunachal Pradesh. Eventually, I completed a PhD in Educational Psychology at Purdue University, specialising in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies. 

What’s forthcoming

Looking ahead, I aim for a professorial track in academia, aspiring to make society more equitable and compassionate through my research, teaching, and service. My focus will be on developing educational programmes that nurture not only academic and cognitive growth but also the social, emotional, and motivational development of students of all ages and backgrounds.