Greetings! I am a Former Admissions Officer at InGenius Prep. My approach to the application process emerges from two convergent “sites;” on the one hand, as a Professor, in my over 18 years of teaching I have helped hundreds of students craft their applications, prep for their interviews, construct their essays, and gain admission to elite colleges and universities in the US and Europe. On the other hand, as a Former Admissions Officer at Sciences Po – Paris (the “Harvard of Europe”) and the Sciences Po and Columbia University Dual Degree Program, I also understand the finer points of what universities are looking for in student applications and the larger criteria for application acceptance. Moreover, I am well-versed in how to bring international applications to shine and stand out in the highly selective admissions process. My work with students is about guiding them, but also about the humanity and beauty of creative collaboration. I aim to inspire them, bring them to tell their stories, and connect their passions to their intellectual endeavors and future academic success. It is exciting to help young people find their voice and their calling. My students have been a source of great joy for me and it is thrilling to aid them in achieving their goals and fulfilling their dreams!
I am also an Academic Mentor at InGenius Prep and have had the pleasure of convening rigorous research seminars and practicums with our students, as well as teaching individualized courses. Some of the topics that students and I have explored include Poetry & Aesthetics, Continental Philosophy, Global Inequality, the Sociology of Migration, Citizenship -Ancient & Modern Perspectives, Religion and Politics, and Women in the French Revolution.
By way of background, I was born and raised in Princeton, NJ, and now reside in Paris, France. I received my B.A. in Philosophy, my M.A. in History of Culture, and my Ph.D. in the History of Religions, all from the University of Chicago. I also have an M.S.S. in Psychoanalytic Studies from the New School for Social Research. I am currently Senior Lecturer in the Social Sciences at New York University in Paris and Visiting Lecturer in the Political Humanities at Sciences Po-Paris. Both universities are global hubs of cutting edge pedagogy and research. And at both institutions, it has been an immense pleasure to work closely with international students from diverse backgrounds. I strive to transform the “global classroom” into a forum for spirited debate, open-mindedness, and cultural exchange. And I remain of the mind that teaching and mentoring are arts, both informed by a steadfast commitment to liberal education and its capacity to construct new understandings of self, culture, and society, and human being and global citizen.
In parallel, I also had the occasion to work in the international system; I was a researcher for the European Union where I worked on issues concerning sustainable diversity, the future of the social sciences, and the social science/policy nexus. I was also a researcher and consultant at UNESCO in the Ethics and Global Change section where I worked on the ethics of technology, environmental ethics, and the ethics of sustainable development. These experiences allowed me to gain expertise in global politics and the changing dynamics of our geopolitical landscape. Here I also learned how to tackle the most pressing issues of global transformation, issues that are central to the lives of young people and future generations.
I have published widely, mostly on Political Theory, Philosophy, Globalization Studies, Sociology, and the History of Religions. My interdisciplinarity and intellectual breadth have aided me in orienting and rendering concrete the passions of my students and bringing them to build bridges between their interests and academia, and indeed between multiple worlds. Following from this, my own cosmopolitan background as a South Asian raised in America and now living in Europe has made me increasingly sensitive to the importance of cultural and intellectual diversity in teaching and mentoring. Hence, I attempt to foster a larger conversation with our students which is attentive to the particularity of their experiences, cultural contexts, and “voices.” This sensitivity has been crucial to my work with students at InGenius Prep and has helped me to bring students to actualize their potential and seize their vocations.
When I am not teaching and working with students, I play bass in a jazz quintet, write poetry, tend to my garden and Oleanders, play chess with my son (who always beats me!), and explore the mysteries of the great wisdom traditions in the history of philosophy and religion.
