Prof. Seema Nanda

Associate Professor - Dartmouth College

Biography

Professor Nanda received her doctoral degree from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University in the area of probability theory and is currently as Associate Professor in Mathematics from Dartmouth University in New Hampshire. She has held many leadership positions worldwide in the corporate environment and in academia, including serving as Vice President at Lehman Brothers, and later a faculty member at Tata Institute for Fundamental Research in Bangalore, India. She has also taught at the Harvey Mudd College and New York University, and has mentored a number of undergraduate and graduate students. Her research focuses on the use of mathematics to make original discoveries in the biological sciences.

Professor Nanda is the founder of the Leora Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and mentoring of girls. Her inspiration for the trust started when she moved back to her homeland India after spending many years in the United States, and was struck by the heartbreaking gender inequality that persists in India. Recognizing her own good fortune of receiving numerous opportunities for education, she was motivated her to establish an educational support mechanism for other girls. At first, her activities consisted of volunteer teaching and mentoring young girls wherever she saw a need. In 2012, she streamlined these efforts by establishing Leora Trust, which has grown steadily in its activities.

Professor Nanda has a passion for establishing a foundation of mathematics learning in early childhood, and is also a licensed pilot.