Ashis Khan has 30+ years of engineering, marketing, and business development experience in Silicon Valley. Ashis earned his MS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Stony Brook and BTech from IIT Kharagpur. Ashis volunteers in several organizations including HCI, Peninsula Multifaith Coalition, IIT Bay Area Alumni Association (Board Member and Conference Chair), and Vedanta Society.

I am drawn to Hindu Chaplaincy because, as a chaplain, my goal is to create a compassionate sacred space for the care-receiver’s self-healing and meaning-making. Understanding the other person’s relationship with the spirit helps me to create this sacred space while realizing the core teaching of my faith (Vedanta) that all  beings are divine. Appreciate the scholarship grant from HCI.

Usha Narasimhan has an MBA in Finance and Information Systems, which she acquired while working and handling familial commitments. Through her hard work and a solution-driven mentality she earned the opportunity to serve as her company's CFO. She is a trustee on the board of a Hindu temple, responsible for organizing religious activities.

The path to Hindu Chaplaincy attracted me,   because I feel strong with love, security and familial/social values given to me.  Those values have always compelled me towards community service.  My natural empathy towards my fellow humans has been honed by HCI and then by GTU.  I have learnt the joy of giving freely and fully. Thanks HCI, especially for the scholarship grant.

Neeti Soota has an MS in CIS and works in a high tech company in the Bay Area. Spirituality has been of essence in her learnings, experiences and how she relates to people. Living with awareness allows her the worldview of oneness to herself, others, nature and the Divine. She is an avid hiker and loves the mountains.

My learning journey as a Counselor of Hindu Tradition inspired me to grow and serve people from different faiths and backgrounds. The Interreligious Chaplaincy Program at GTU offered me that path and much more. The diversity of the classes offered in the practice of chaplaincy and the Clinical Pastoral Education have all been enriching experiences. Thanks HCI for the scholarship grant.

Sanmay Mukhopadhyay has an MBA in Finance, M. Tech in EE/CS, and an MSc in Yoga Therapy. He was CIO of one of the top public healthcare systems in USA. 

I come to Chaplaincy with a rich “kit of tools” from the Hindu tradition. For the last 30 years, I have studied various Yoga lineages and have been teaching yoga internationally. My focus has been disease management using Yoga. I study  scriptures and use my knowledge of science to create a unique “East meets West”. I have also published and presented Yoga research work at international forums. I am grateful to Motwani Jadeja Foundation for the generous award of the fellowship.

Nisha Singh has a PhD in genetics and works in Sydney, Australia as a certified clinical scientist. Originally from South Africa and having completed  degrees in science, she migrated to Australia with her husband and two sons. She ia a trained Women’s group facilitator and serves on a hospital committee advocating for culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

I decided to combine my hospital based career and experiences with my strong passion for community service. My Hindu faith has been strong source of inspiration and confidence for me. With the foundational CHT course, the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program (ICP) at GTU became a natural continuation of my learning.  I also plan to expand my understanding of other faiths. 

Ridhi Khurana has an MBA and a BTech in CSE. She is an educational trainer and therapist by profession. She is also an active volunteer of a well-known spiritual organisation, she has always aimed at touching the lives of those who she comes across in whichever ways possible. 

My CHT course with HCI opened the doors to a reservoir of knowledge to serve Hindu diaspora, and also made a pathway for me to pursue chaplaincy through GTU's ICP program. I feel immense gratitude towards everyone, especially the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, for bringing me closer to my passion to serve. 

Madhuri Velagala has a PhD degree in diet and nutrition and has worked as a dietitian and diabetes educator. She has specialised in Human Nutrition, and for two decades promoted Medical Nutrition Therapy amongst different age groups people living in India, Australia, UK, and USA.

I had an upbringing in Hindu culture on the bank of the river Godavari. Being a Sai student at Puttaparthi, I practised the human values “Help Ever, Hurt Never”, and that “Service is the highest spiritual discipline one can partake in”. The CHT course has assisted in improving my traditional Hindu knowledge but also skills in understanding the Bhagavad-Gita. I am thankful to accept the MJF fellowship. With a recognised degree from GTU, I would like to offer Spiritual care globally.

Varsha Kaushal received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She has pursued medical research at UAMS and taught undergraduates at Hendrix College as a biology professor. She has been active with the learning and teaching activities of the Vedant society and in an Interfaith book club that explores diverse spiritual and cultural practices.

Due to a recent life changing event, I have been seeking avenues to meaningfully contribute to society,  and I believe the Hindu Chaplaincy Pathway will serve as an ideal program in fulfilling my mission of learning and serving the community. I am thankful to the Motwani Jadeja  Foundation for their generous support in this endeavor.

Bindu Gupta is a middle school teacher, who also teaches Yoga, Meditation, and Mandala Art. She is a proud mother of two wonderful children. She holds a MA in Sociology and a BA in Psychology and Education.  

I believe my spiritual journey has brought me to HCI and the ICP course at GTU. I am deeply grateful to both educational institutions and the Motwani Jadeja Foundation for this wonderful opportunity to prepare myself as a Hindu and an Interfaith chaplain to serve humanity. I look forward to serving the Hindu diaspora in a university setting. I am happy to be able to serve other minority communities as well. I am very excited to be on this pathway.

Sudha Ramakrishnan is a medical research librarian, and lives in Dallas, Texas. She has her MSIS from University of North Texas and BA in English Literature from the University of Kerala and BLS from IGNOU, India. Sudha is also trained in Indian classical music and has served as a music teacher and coordinator for Chinmaya Mission DFW for more than 12 years. 

I was introduced to Hindu Spiritual Care through the Chinmaya International Foundation. I believe that finding the common ground within our human experience, no matter where we come from, is spirituality in practice. I was delighted to learn about the HCP-GTU ICP and the generous Motwani Jadeja Fellowship program. I am grateful to be in this journey with other like-minded individuals.