Academic Advisors

As a teacher for most of my life, I have always been passionate about education that empowers and inspires students to be the best version of themselves. Now as an academic advisor, I am committed to creating space where all students feel comfortable to ask questions, know their resources, and feel the benefits of support and inclusion. I truly enjoy demystifying complex information to make it feel manageable and helping students both dream and set attainable goals. My family immigrated from India, and I was born and raised in New England. Because of this, I am familiar with the balancing act between two cultures which can provide both challenge and celebration. On a personal note, I am avid singer and parent of two who loves to spend time with friends and family.

Although I wrote my final grad school paper on academic advising, I spent most of my career working with high school and college students on the college admission process before I finally found my way to UMass in 2017. It just took me awhile to figure out where I was supposed to be! I love working with the Political Science advising team to help students understand how to navigate UMass and explore the many opportunities available to them here. We work with a wide range of students from a diverse set of circumstances, which means our days are always interesting. Outside of work, I love to read, listen to live music, and hang with my pets.

I love academic advising because I talk to undergraduate students every day. I hear about their interests and dreams and learn about concerns and challenges. In Political Science, I also work with an amazing team of advising specialists. Together, we provide broad and rich supports for our students that help them pursue those interests and dreams and support them to voice their concerns or navigate challenges. My first job after getting my BA combined academics and team-based work in a similar way. I worked with a civic education organization in the D.C. area and we used the city to teach about political institutions, federalism, U.S. history, and more. An interesting personal detail about me, I love to run and I’m out most days, rain or shine.