Nandini Choudhury
Class of 2012
I learned to understand and approach global issues from a diverse range of approaches … which have shaped how I view the world today.
Nandini graduated from SUA with a concentration in Environmental Studies (ES) in 2012. She is currently working as a Delivery Science Analyst for Possible, a nonprofit company that provides healthcare in remote, rural, and underserved parts of Nepal. Her main responsibilities include data management, analysis, and writing for their implementation research studies, as well as implementing and ensuring high standards of data quality in their work. She is currently based in Boston (where she completed her MPH in Global Health and Epidemiology from Boston University) but also spends about a third of her time on site in Nepal.
Q: What is your best memory as an Environmental Studies concentrator?
A: My best memory as an Environmental Studies concentrator is of the different opportunities to be a pioneer and try out new things! Now that I reflect upon my time as an ES concentrator, we had many opportunities to experience and learn ES through resources that students don’t usually have at the undergraduate level. Since the concentration was so new at the time, I also fondly remember many dialogues with friends about our visions for this concentration and what it means to study science within a liberal arts framework.
Q: How did Environmental Studies prepare you for life after SUA?
A: Environmental Studies helped me realize how much I value an interdisciplinary approach to science, which became the cornerstone for my interest in public health. As an ES concentrator, I learned to understand and approach global issues from a diverse range of approaches including but not limited to science, policy, human rights, ethics, and art, all of which have shaped how I view the world today and apply myself to my work. In addition, the training I received in research and writing as an ES student remains fundamental to my work now.
Q: Do you have any advice for current Environmental Studies concentrators?
A: You are pioneers who continue to shape this program! I hope you will push the boundaries of what it means to study science at a liberal arts college and not shy away from some of the more rigorous science/math courses, while simultaneously maximizing on the opportunities to broaden your perspective through interdisciplinary learning. I also hope you will go after opportunities and internships to hone in on your interests!