Dr. Lakshmi Priya Daniel joined the Department of Fine Arts, Stella Maris College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India in 1996 and has served as Director of SMCHRD, IQAC Coordinator, and Dean of Student Affairs. She earned her PhD in 2013 from the University of Madras with a focus on gender and Indian art. A 2018-2019 UBCHEA Fellow, she completed the ‘Leadership Development Program’ at Harvard Graduate School of Education and worked at the University of Melbourne. She is a recognized PhD guide of the University of Madras, has won best presentation awards, published widely, and served as guest faculty at institutions such as NIFT, IIT-Madras, and the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. Also, a practicing artist and curator, she has exhibited in group shows, including the 2021 USIEF–Ojas Art Gallery international exhibition ‘Reciprocation: American Fulbright Artists & India Connections’ in New Delhi.
As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar, Dr. Daniel is teaching and engaging students, artists, and educators in building cross-cultural connections on and off campus. Her teaching centers on research-based art practice, guiding students to create meaningful, informed eco-artworks. She will also devote her time to archival work, interviews, and surveys on ephemeral art by Black and women artists. Her research explores unseen artisanal practices, dying crafts, and sustainable materials, fostering dialogue on cultural preservation and ecological approaches to contemporary art-making.