Archives: Meet Our India Fulbrighters

Kavita Yadav

Dr. Kavita Yadav is currently teaching at a government school in Delhi. She recently completed her PhD in linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Throughout her academic journey, she has been deeply interested in the interplay between language and society. Dr. Yadav has presented numerous papers at prestigious national and international conferences, exploring language through various linguistic principles. She has also published several papers in media studies and linguistics. She was awarded a national fellowship by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

Dr. Yadav’s research interests include critical discourse analysis, media linguistics, and English Language Teaching (ELT). Her work examines the power dynamics within language use and media representations, providing insightful critiques and fostering a deeper understanding of societal issues. She has collaborated with various NGOs and international organizations to support underprivileged children and women, striving to blend her education and social consciousness holistically.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Dr. Yadav is teaching Hindi at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Her rich experiences with diverse cultures inform her efforts to build cross-cultural connections through literature, culinary arts, and performing arts. She aspires to create a dynamic, student-centred classroom that integrates literature, food, art, and media, fostering multicultural perspectives and enriching the educational experience of her students.

Tuba Tasneem

Tuba Tasneem is a literature enthusiast with an academic background. She is currently working as a consultant at Unifye, where she creates curriculum and content for vocational and educational courses, enhancing the efficiency for companies through innovative storytelling. She has also served as an educational content writer at Hurak, London where she created over 25 courses. Her dedication to education extended to her role as an assistant professor at Villa Marie Degree College for Women, Hyderabad where she taught English and organized literary events to engage students.

Tuba holds a master’s in English literature from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She completed her bachelor’s in English from Patna University. Tuba has qualified the National Eligibility Test for assistant professorship in English.

Tuba weaves her passion for medical humanities through diverse pursuits. She completed the course ‘International Women’s Health and Human Rights’ from Stanford University and explored medical narratives in contemporary literature through a faculty development program. In 2023, her TEDx talk at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) conference in Hong Kong illuminated the poignant intersection of women’s rights, history, and postpartum depression.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at Brown University, Providence, RI, Tuba is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural understanding between the U.S. and India through innovative language teaching strategies. She embodies the Fulbright mission of promoting mutual understanding and international cooperation, enriching both educational systems with her diverse experiences and expertise. Tuba aspires to redefine educational paradigms, aiming to inspire future generations to embrace diversity and global citizenship.

Manvi Tandon

Manvi Tandon is a PhD candidate at the Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. She completed her master’s in English literature from Banaras Hindu University in 2022, following which she taught English at North-Eastern Hill University, Tura, Meghalaya for a semester as a guest lecturer. For her doctoral research, Manvi is studying narratives of relational childhood trauma. She is working in the area of childhood studies and is deeply interested in childhood ideology and child rights advocacy. Her academic interests include childhood narratives, translation, and popular culture.

Manvi studies Indian fiction for her doctoral thesis. She avidly participated in volunteering and social work during her undergraduate days through the National Service Scheme (NSS), and an internship at My Home India where she worked with ‘Children Under Need for Care and Protection.’

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Manvi is assisting with teaching Hindi at the Department of Asian Studies, the University of Texas at Austin, TX. She hopes to contribute to the university’s language programs and foster cross-cultural understanding. This opportunity will also allow her to immerse herself in American culture and share her knowledge of Indian life, to fulfill her role as a cultural ambassador.

Sneha Sharma

Sneha Sharma is a dedicated Hindi tutor from Jorhat, Assam. She completed her master’s in linguistics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, where she received a gold medal for her academic excellence. She also holds a master’s in English from the University of Delhi and completed her undergraduate studies at Sophia Girls’ College, Ajmer, where she was actively involved in various co-curricular activities. Sneha was a vibrant member of the college comm unity, participating in the theatre society, volunteering for the National Service Scheme (NSS), and serving on the editorial board of the university magazine.

Sneha has a profound passion for folk songs, Indian mythology, and various Indian dance forms. She is currently training in the Indian classical dance form Kathak and has a two year diploma in the same. Her love for languages and cultures extends beyond her formal education; she hosts a podcast and maintains a blog trying to promote the use of Hindi in the social sphere. She also authored a research paper titled “Birds in Selected Folksongs of Rajasthan,” highlighting her deep interest in regional folklore and culture.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Sneha is teaching Hindi at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She aims to inspire and educate by blending traditional and modern elements, making learning an enriching and enjoyable journey for all her students. She is also keen to imbibe the teaching pedagogy of the U.S. so that innovative ideas may be formed and utilized in her teaching career.

Payal Saini

Payal Saini, a NET and GATE-qualified scholar, is currently an assistant professor at Poornima University, Jaipur. She completed her master’s in English from the Central University of Gujarat in 2023. At Poornima University, she teaches literature and communication skills to undergraduate students, blending traditional and contemporary teaching methodologies. Payal is involved in curating cultural events, fostering a vibrant academic community for both faculty members and students.

Payal has actively participated in the Jaipur Literature Festival as a volunteer, where she was part of the social media team and was responsible for working on ground to capture the ambience of the festival, behind-the-scenes activities, and key sessions to generate online content for the festival. Her academic interests lie in folklore and Shekhawati literature, and she is researching the linguistic nuances and usage of the Shekhawati dialect in music. Beyond academia, she has extensive experience as a freelance content writer for various firms.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at Yale University, New Haven, CT, Payal is dedicated to promoting the Hindi language on a global scale. She seeks to employ natural language processing techniques to enhance the accessibility and understanding of Hindi texts. She is keen on developing innovative pedagogies for language teaching, intending to implement these methods in her future endeavors.

Ruchi Rana

Ruchi Rana is a PhD candidate at the Department of MIL & LS, University of Delhi, Delhi. She recently defended her doctoral thesis, which examines nature and ecological ethos in Uttarakhand’s folklife. She holds a master’s in English literature and an MPhil in comparative Indian literature from the University of Delhi. She has worked as a research coordinator for a project on Kazi Nazrul Islam jointly undertaken by the MIL Department (DU) and Kazi Nazrul University, West Bengal. Her research areas include folkloristics, Himalayan culture, diasporic literature, and memory studies.

Ruchi received two academic excellence awards in BA English (Honours) from Swami Shraddhanand College (DU). She is a recipient of a research fellowship for the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) of Indian villages, a project under the Ministry of Culture, the Government of India.

Ruchi has presented papers at several national and international conferences, including the 134th annual meeting of the American Folklore Society (2022), the 14th conference of SIEF (2022), the annual conference of the Folklore Society of London (2022), and 10th International Conference of Young Folklorists (2021), organised by University of Tartu, Estonia. Her research on Uttarakhand’s Jagar ritual got published in the UGC Care-listed journal The Eastern Anthropologist in 2022.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Ruchi aims to fortify the bonds between India and the U.S. by promoting intercultural dialogue through Hindi language instruction. Her objectives are to broaden her teaching philosophy, develop innovative pedagogies, and foster a multicultural mindset among her students.

Aditya Raj

Aditya Raj is a passionate educator and scholar with a deep interest in languages, literature, science, technology and environmental studies. He holds a master’s degree in English, and has qualified UGC NET for university-level teaching. He was guest faculty in the Department of English at Lalit Narayan Mithila University, where he taught a diverse range of topics like Indian classical literature, Victorian literature, postmodernism and other literary theories. Beyond teaching, Aditya is engaged in doctoral research, exploring human-AI intersections, terraforming and the role of culture in science fiction. He actively contributes to the academic community by publishing research articles, contributing chapters to edited books and attending conferences.

Aditya’s passion for languages extends beyond his native Hindi; he has completed a certificate course in French as well. He has volunteered his language skills by teaching Hindi to local communities in Nepal.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Aditya is teaching Hindi at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. He seeks to empower his students by making them proficient in Hindi, while also enriching his own educational journey by understanding American culture, learning innovative teaching methods and advanced pedagogical skills. He sees this two-way exchange as an opportunity to create a vibrant learning environment and celebrate the richness of intercultural connections.

Anuja Halder

Anuja Halder works as a prompt engineer with Nvidia Corporation in Bengaluru. She deals with generative AI and works with Language Learning Materials (LLM) to train AI models to be more human-like, impersonal, and creative. She completed her master’s in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2021. Her interest lies in teaching and training, data analytics, gender studies, and dramatics. She also holds a diploma in theatre arts and a bachelor’s degree in English. She has delivered guest lectures and served as a panelist at Amity University in Noida from 2021 to 2023.

As a resource person, Anuja has conducted extensive fieldwork with the Azim Premji Foundation in Uttarakhand. She has taught in government schools, trained Anganwadi and government primary-school teachers in remote villages, and facilitated district-level workshops on FLN for Teacher Professional Development. Her research on storytelling, gender, and climate change has been published in esteemed journals. Additionally, she is actively engaged with the United Nations as a volunteer.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Anuja is teaching Hindi at Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena, MS. She aspires to juxtapose her language training expertise and experience to create a cultural bridge between India and the U.S. She aims to blend her professional skillset with cultural exploration, aspiring to understand and integrate into her educational practices, diverse cultural patterns through language.

Mohammad Jibraan Fazili

Dr. Mohammad Jibraan Fazili is an assistant professor of English at Malla Reddy University in Hyderabad, where he teaches English language and literature courses. He has developed curriculum material and mentored English-language learners. He also has an extensive experience as an English tutor on various online platforms, where he gave personalized training to a diverse group of students. He also conducts communication and soft skills training, personality development sessions, and prepares students for Cambridge B2 level competence and tests like IELTS, and TOEFL. His deep understanding of the nuances of language and literature underline his teaching methods.

With a focus on immigration, nativism, and modern fiction, Dr. Fazili earned his PhD in English from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 2024, where he also completed his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in English. Proficient in, Urdu, Kashmiri and English, Dr. Fazili has presented papers at notable national and international conferences and published articles in various journals.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Dr. Fazili will try to elevate cultural awareness of India’s heritage through dynamic engagement. Employing innovative and interactive approaches, he hopes to introduce Urdu language and literature to students, fostering a vibrant classroom environment. His methodological blend will enhance learning, promote multilingual competencies, and encourage exploration of diverse languages and cultures.

Vaibhavi Chaturvedi

Vaibhavi Chaturvedi is a PhD candidate in English literature at the English and Foreign Languages University, Lucknow. Her research delves into the significance of culinary narratives, exploring how they serve as vital spaces for creative expression and cultural identity for women. Through her work, she aims to highlight the intersection of food, literature, and gender, revealing how culinary storytelling can empower women and provide insight into their lived experiences and societal roles.

Vaibhavi completed her master’s degree at Jamia Millia Islamia and her bachelor’s degree at the University of Delhi. She has been awarded the Junior Research Fellowship by the University Grants Commission of India. She has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and has published papers in her field of study. With over two years of experience, she has taught English as a foreign language to young and adult learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. During her time as an intern with the Anubhuti Organization, she assisted in the development of a competency-based curriculum for students who had dropped out of primary schools.

As a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Vaibhavi will be teaching Hindi and Urdu at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. She aims to promote cross-cultural understanding by integrating a range of cultural perspectives into her teaching. She is eager to participate in the program as it will enhance her ability to be a compassionate and culturally aware scholar and educator.