Ep 37: Finding Purpose: Sandhya's Quest to Reimagining Education

Atalanta Diaries Breakthrough Women in Conversation with Enma Popli

Sandhya is the founder of Aavishkaar - A Center for Science, Arts, and Technology that aims to make teaching science and math effective, efficient, and fun. The program aims to encourage hands-on learning through models, experiments, experience, and projects. This is where teachers become the storytellers, and the experiments/models become the props.

Sandhya is an electrical engineer, a math & science enthusiast, and a women's education advocate. She has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University, USA, with several publications and patents. She has been an academic achiever with many awards. She also has a Master's in Public Affairs from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Sandhya worked in Semiconductor Technology Research for 20 years in the US before moving to Himachal in 2009. She keeps thinking about ways to remove the fear of Math from every child and create excellent women Math Educators for every community in the country. She currently lives in a village near Palampur with her husband Sarit Sharma, dog Belaa, and cat Koyal.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

• Problem-Solving Mindset
• Community at the heart of everything
• Being experimental, you only live once
• Lessons from her Father Land, United States
• Crafting the Narrative, choosing the storyline
• Being the only woman can be a position of power
• Making science and math interesting and engaging, and fun
• Exploring the journey of seeking purpose to add depth and meaning
• Recognizing a passion and vocalizing it, Confronting Fear, and looking for partners
• Taking control, only when you ask for permission somebody gets the right to say yes or no

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin:

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli’s website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/