PROFILES OF HINDI SCHOLARS AND SPEAKERS

Dr. Bindeshwari Aggarwal, New York University, New York

न्यू यॉर्क विश्वविद्यालय में हिंदी की प्राध्यापिका और प्रसिद्ध हास्य कवियित्री डॉ. बिंदु अग्रवाल का शोध हिंदी कवि पं. जगदम्बा प्रसाद मिश्र " हितैषी" पर है। समस्त अमेरिका में वे सम्मेलनों में आमंत्रित होती रही हैं। बिंदु जी न्यू यॉर्क की संस्था "अखिल विश्व हिन्दी समिति से" जुडी हैं जिसकी पत्रिका " सौरभ " की सहसम्पादिका और प्रचार मंत्री हैं। हिन्दी सेवा के लिए अमेरिका और भारत में विशेष रूप से सम्मानित बिंदु जी हिंदी सम्मलेन के दौरान कवि सम्मलेन के संचालन की जिम्मेदारी निभा रही हैं।  

Susham Bedi

Susham Bedi is a leading South Asian (Indian) author of novels, short stories and poetry, currently living in the United States. She has taught language and literature at the department of Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures  (MEALAC) at Columbia University, New York. She writes predominantly about the experiences of Indians in the South Asian diaspora, focusing on psychological and 'interior' cultural conflicts. Unlike other prominent Indian American novelists she writes mainly in Hindi rather than in English. She has been widely translated into English, French, Dutch and other languages by artists, academics, and students. In 2007 she was awarded 100,000 Rupees by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan for her contributions to Hindi language and literature. In January, 2006 she was honored by Sahitya Academy in Delthi for her contributions to Hindi literature.

Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, Professor of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

Global History, Early Modern and Modern Chinese History, Asian and European Islam, Religion and World History, Middle Eastern History, History of Geography, Arab-Jewish and Mizrahi History

Modern Middle Eastern Jewish Thought: Writings on Identity, Politics, and Culture 1893-1958.Brandeis, 2013

The Ten Lost Tribes: A World History, Oxford University Press, 2009.

The Dao of Muhammad: A Cultural History of Muslims in Late Imperial China.  Harvard University Asia Center, 2005.

Anoop Bhargava, Poet, Founder /Moderator eKavita Group


अनूप भार्गव अपने व्यवसाय में तकनीक से जुड़े हैं लेकिन मन से कवि हैं । उन्होंने ’बिरला तकनीकी एवं विज्ञान संस्थान, पिलानी से ’केमिकल इंजिनयिंग’ और ’भारतीय प्राद्योगिकी संस्थान’ (आई.आई.टी.) दिल्ली से कम्प्यूटर टेकनोलोजी में परास्नातक की उपाधि प्राप्त की । अनूप ९ वर्ष की उम्र से कविता लिख रहे हैं । उन की पहली कविता १३ वर्ष की उम्र में एक साहित्यिक पत्रिका में प्रकाशित हुई । वह तब से लगातार लिख रहे हैं और उन्हें अपने कौलेज के दिनों में कविता के लिये कई अखिल भारतीय स्तर पर पुरुस्कार भी मिले ।

Anoop Bhargava is a Technology person by profession and a poet by heart. He did his Chemical Engineering from B.I.T.S. Pilani and Post-Graduation in Information Technology from Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi. Anoop has been writing since the age of 9. His first poem was published in a literary journal when he was 13 years old. Since then he has been writing regularly, winning several awards at All India Level in his college days. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Hindi Magazine at BITS, Pilani. Anoop came to United States in 1983. He was instrumental in bringing good poetry to America by inviting well known poets and organizing Kavi Sammelan.
He founded a Yahoo group called ‘eKavita’ to share and spread poetry thru the use of emails. Today, eKavita is one of the most vibrant groups related to Kavita with more than 700 active members from all over the world.  Anoop has also been associated with ‘Kavita Kosh’ – the biggest collection of Poetry on the internet and contributed to its success between 2008-2011. Anoop was awarded “Hindi Videsh Prasar Samman” by ‘Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthaan’ in 2007 for his contribution in promoting Hindi outside of India. He writes his poetry blog at http://anoopbhargava.blogspot.com/

Rajni Bhargava, Adjunct Instructor, New York University

Rajni Bhargava is an adjunct instructor at New York University and teaches Hindi to students at the beginning to advanced proficiency levels. She is also the Hindi assessment coordinator for the Hindi and Urdu program at New York University.

Dr. Ved Chaudhary

Dr. Ved Chaudhary served as an Assistant Professor at Puntnagar University in India and as a Vice-Principal in a Community Development Center in India before coming to USA in 1965. He obtained an MS degree from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ and a PHD in EM from University of Nebraska in 1970. He worked as an R&D Engineer at Bell Laboratories in NJ, as a Manager at IIT Europe in Brussels, Belgium and as a Director and Product Line Manager at Bell Communications Research in NJ.

Inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, he got involved in the civil rights work in 1987 when a group of misguided youth who called themselves “Dot-busters” started harassing Hindu women because they wear a red “dot” on their forehead. This gang started in Jersey City and spread in the nearby towns. Dr Chaudhary co-founded the Indian American Forum for Political Education, NJ Chapter, to stop this menace. With active support of the Forum, a Hate Crimes bill was passed by the New Jersey legislature and signed into law by the Governor in 1991. Dr. Chaudhary also served on the Governor's Ethnic Advisory Council in New Jersey and as Vice-chair of the NJ Advisory committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights.

Due to his interest in education, Dr. Chaudhary has also served on the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University in NJ. When his children were in school, he found that textbooks used in middle schools and high schools in USA depicted India, Indian culture and traditions in a biased manner. So he co-founded Educators Society for Heritage of India involving several eminent professors to remove institutional bias from the textbooks. ESHI also conducts programs to teach Hindi and Indian culture to heritage students on weekends at several Schools in N.J. ESHI now receives $100,000 in US federal grants each year to conduct a summer camp to teach Hindi and Indian culture.

Richard Delacy, Preceptor in Hindi-Urdu, Department of South Asian Studies, Harvard University

रिचर्ड डिलेसी,  िहंदी-उर्दू प्रीसेप्टर, हारवर्ड यूनिवर्सिटी
मूल रूप से ऑस्ट्रेलिया का रहनेवाला हूँ, लेकिन दस-बारह वर्षों से मैं अमरीका में हिंदी भाषा तथा उसके साहित्य का अध्ययन और अध्यापन कर रहा हूँ। यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ शिकागो से पी० एच० डी० की उपाधि प्राप्त हुई। आठ वर्षों से मैं हारवर्ड यूनिवर्सिटी में साउथ एशियन स्टडीज़ के विभाग में प्रीसेप्टर के पद पर िहंदी-उर्दू सिखा रहा हूँ। मैं प्राथमिक स्तर से ले कर उच्चतम स्तर तक हिंदी और उर्दू भाषा तथा साहित्य पढ़ाता हूँ और व्यवसायिक चलचित्रों का कोर्स भी पढ़ाता हूँ। पढ़ाने के साथ मैं उदारीकरण के पश्चात् के आधुनिक हिंदी उपन्यास का अध्ययन भी करता हूँ। उस के साथ मैंने िहंदी और उर्दू भाषा सीखने के लिये एकाध पुस्तकें भी प्रकाशित करायी हैं।

I am originally from Australia, but have been teaching Hindi and Urdu language and literature for the past 10‐12 years in America. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and have been teaching at Harvard University for eight years as a Preceptor in the Department of South Asian Studies. I teach all levels of language from the elementary to the advanced level, as well as a course on commercial Hindi cinema. My academic work focuses on the modern Hindi novel after liberalization in 1991. I have also published Hindi and Urdu language textbooks.

Dr. Anand Dwivedi, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

आनन्द द्विवेदी जोसेफ लाउडर इंस्टीच्यूट ऑफ़ मैनेजमेंट और इंटरनेशनल स्टडीज, यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पेन्सिलवेनिया में हिंदी भाषा और संस्कृति कार्यक्रम के निदेशक पर कार्यरत हैं। इससे पूर्व सिराक्यूज विश्वविद्यालय के दक्षिण एशिया केंद्र के सह-निदेशक के पद कार्यरत रह चुके हैं। हिंदी भाषा के शिक्षण और मूल्यांकन से संबंधित कई परियोजनाओं से भी भाषा-विशेषज्ञ के रूप में जुड़े रहे हैं और भाषा से संबंधित कई पेशेवर संगठन जैसे ACTFL, NCOLTCL, SALTA और NEALT के सदस्य हैं।

Anand K Dwivedi, is currently serving as Director, Hindi Language and Culture Program,The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies, University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Lauder Institute, he served as the Associate Director at the South Asia Center, Syracuse University. Anand is an ACTFL certified OPI tester for Hindi and has served as a language specialist for assessment projects for the Defense Language Institute as well as material development projects for ACTFL's Heritage Learners.

Betsy Hart, Director, STARTALK, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

Ms. Betsy Hart is director of national outreach at the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland and program director for STARTALK. Since 1993, she has held several positions at the NFLC beginning as executive assistant to the director and then serving as associate director for many years before assuming her current role. Ms. Hart directs the implementation of the STARTALK program initiatives to ensure that they are conceptually on track, on time, and adhere to contractual requirements. She holds an undergraduate degree in Education from Marywood University, a master's degree in Business Administration from Boston University, and recently completed a post‐graduate certificate program in Leadership and Management at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Surendra Gambhir

डा० सुरेन्द्र गंभीर – यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पेन्सिल्वेनिया (1973-2008); शोध का विषय – आप्रवासी भारतीयों की भाषाओं का संरक्षण और ह्रास; भारत, कैरिबियन और अमेरिका में शोध के लिए 2012 में भारत के राष्ट्रपति द्वारा सम्मानित; भारत, प्राग, मारीशस, अमेरिका में शैक्षिक कार्यक्रमों में बीजवक्ता; यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पेन्सिल्वेनिया में पैन-इन-इंडिया कार्यक्रम के संस्थापक और निदेशक; अमेरिकन इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ़ इंडियन स्टडीज़ में भाषा-समिति के अध्यक्ष और भारत में चल रहे 13 भाषा-कार्यक्रमों के निदेशक (1998 – 2007); सेवा-निवृत्त होने के बाद युवा हिन्दी संस्थान के संस्थापक-सभापति और स्टारटॉक कार्यक्रमों के सलाहकार; 5 पुस्तकें और राष्ट्रीय और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय पत्रिकाओं और विश्वकोशों में 100 से अधिक लेख। शोध का विषय - भाषाविज्ञान, भाषा-शिक्षण, संस्कृत साहित्य, विदेशों में चलने वाले कार्यक्रम और आप्रवासी भारतीय।

Dr. Surendra Gambhir is a distinguished member of the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania between 1973 and 2008, was honored by the President of India for promotion of Hindi outside of India in 2011. He has been member/ chair of many national and international committees and a keynote speaker in various national and international meetings in India, Prague, Mauritius, and the United States. His research in the Caribbean countries and the United States has focused on language preservation and decay in immigrant communities. He has been an active participant in the heritage languages movement in the United States for over ten years, with a specialty in Hindi and Urdu. He was a visiting professor at Cornell University and University of Wisconsin, founding Director of the Penn-in-India study-abroad program, Chair of the Language Committee of the American Institute of Indian Studies, and academic director of 13 study abroad South Asian language programs (1998-2007). He was an invited speaker at the Regional Hindi Conference in Tokyo in 2006, and was recently honored at the World Hindi Convention in New York in 2007 as one of the 27 international scholars of Hindi. He is the author/co-author of five books and numerous articles in linguistics, language pedagogy, Sanskrit literature, study abroad programs, and the Indian diaspora. He has contributed to international journals and encyclopedias and has authored many pedagogic materials for Hindi, including textbooks and proficiency tests. He has conducted language pedagogy workshops and has been consultant to Hindi language programs in the United States.

Dr. Vijay Gambhir

डॉ. विजय गंभीर तीन दशक तक यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पेन्सिल्वेनिया के दक्षिण एशिया विभाग में प्राचार्य रहीं। वहाँ उन्होंने हिन्दी भाषा, भाषा-विज्ञान, हिन्दी- उर्दू शिक्षण शास्त्र, और भारतीय साहित्य से संबंधित कई कोर्स पढ़ाये।  उनकी पी.एच.डी. भाषा विज्ञान में पेन्सिलवेनिया विश्वविद्यालय से ही है। 2008 में सेवा निवृत्ति के बाद भी वे निरन्तर द्वितीय भाषा से जुड़े शोध में रत हैं । उनके प्रकाशनों में 'Teaching and Acquisition of South Asian Languages’, यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पेनसिल्वेनिया प्रेस द्वारा प्रकाशित पुस्तक,  for more than three decades. लय येगाऔर अनेक शोध-लेख सम्मिलत हैं जो राष्ट्रीय और अंतरराष्ट्रीय मान्यता-प्राप्त पत्रिकाओं और शोध-ग्रन्थों में छपे हैं। उनकी अन्य कृतियों में ‘नई दिशाएं नए लोग’ (New Directions New People), नामक हिंदी शिक्षण की लोकप्रिय सामग्री उल्लेखनीय है। इस विडियो और वेब के रूप में उपलब्ध सामग्री की वे सह-लेखक व सह-निर्माता हैं। डा. गंभीर ने कई भारतीय भाषाओं व अन्य भाषाओं के शिक्षकों को अमरीका और भारत में प्रवीणता आधारित शिक्षण और मूल्यांकन के लिए प्रशिक्षण दिया है। उनके नेतृत्व में हिन्दी भाषा-शिक्षण को मानक रूप देने के लिए Hindi Proficiency Guidelines और  World-Readiness Standards for Learning Hindi जैसे महत्तवपूर्ण दस्तावेज़ तैयार किए गए हैं। वे अनेक स्थानीय और राष्ट्रीय समितियों की सदस्य और सलाहकार रही हैं, जैसे - नेशनल फ़ॉरन लैंगवेज सेंटर, डिफ़ेंस लैंगवेज इंस्टीट्यूट, कैपिटल नेशनल फ़ॉरन लैंगवेज रिसोर्स सेंटर, नेशनल कौंसिल ऑफ़ लैस कामनली टॉट लैंगवेजिज़, और हिन्दी उर्दू फ़्लैगशिप प्रोग्राम। आजकल वे कई हिंदी-उर्दू स्टारटॉक छात्र और शिक्षक-प्रशिक्षण कार्यक्रमों में सलाहकार हैं।

Dr. Vijay Gambhir holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania where she taught a variety of courses in language, linguistics, Hindi-Urdu pedagogy, and literature in the department of South Asia Studies for more than three decades. She retired in 2008 but she is still pursuing research projects in the field of second language teaching & acquisition. Her publications include ‘Teaching and Acquisition of South Asian Languages’ an edited volume by the University of Pennsylvania Press and many scholarly articles published in recognized national and international journals and books. She is the co-author and producer of a popular set of Hindi instructional materials "New Directions New People" available in text, video and web formats. Dr. Gambhir is a leader in the field of pedagogy and has trained many South Asian and other less commonly taught language teachers for proficiency-based instruction and assessment. The Hindi Proficiency Guidelines and the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Hindi have been developed under her leadership. She has served on many local and national committees, and she has provided consultation to several institutions including National Foreign Language Center, Defense Language Institute, National Council on the Teaching of Less Commonly Taught Languages, National Capital Language Resource Center, and Hindi Urdu Flagship Program. Currently, she is providing consultation to some Hindi-Urdu STARTALK student and teacher-training programs.

Dr. Gabriela Nik. Ilieva

डॉ. गब्रिएला निक इलिएवा सी. असोसियेट प्रोफेसर न्यूयोर्क विश्वविद्यालय के मध्य एशिया और इस्लाम के अध्ययन के विभाग में हिन्दी और उर्दू कार्यक्रमों की संयोजिका है। हिन्दी भाषा पाठ्यक्रम के अतिरिक्त प्राचीन भारतीय साहित्य औ‌र आधुनिक दक्षिण एशिया का साहित्य भी पढ़ाती है। सन् २००७ में गब्रियेला को गोल्डेन डोजन पुरस्कार न्यू यॉर्क विश्वविद्यालय से सम्मानित किया गया। सन् २०‍०८ से  भाषा अध्यापको का न्यू यॉर्क विश्वविद्यालय के स्टारटॉक प्रशिक्षण कार्यक्रम की एकेडेमिक  डाइरेक्टर हैं और स्टारटॉक टास्क फोर्स की सदस्य भी। गब्रिएला साउथ एशियन लैंगवेज डाटावेज प्रोजेक्ट, जो नेशनल हेरिटेज लैंगवेज रिसोर्सेस सेन्टर कलिफ़ोर्निया विश्विद्यालय (UCLA) में है, की भी अध्यक्षा हैं। इनका शोध प्रबन्ध सामाजिक धारणा 'लिंग' और भाषा के क्षेत्र में और विदेशी भाषा अध्यापन के क्षेत्र में प्रकाशित हो चुका है।

Dr. Gabriela Nik. Ilieva, is the C. Associate Professor, Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Coordinator of the Hindi and Urdu Programs, New York University. She has been teaching Hindi language courses, as well as Ancient Indian Literature and Modern South Asian Literature courses since 1998. In 2007 Gabriela received Golden Dozen Teaching Award, NYU. Gabriela is the Academic Director of the Teacher Training Program at NYU funded by STARTALK and is on the Task Force of STARTALK, a Presidential Initiative to Fund Summer Programs in Critical Languages. In addition, she has served or currently serves on advisory boards, executive committees, and/or delegates assemblies of the South Asian Languages Resource Center (SALRC), National Council of the Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL), South Asian Language Teachers Association (SALTA), Heritage Languages Resource Center (HLRC), STARTALK Task Force, etc. She works with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) along with School Board of Education of New York and New Jersey to organize and lead workshops training teachers at the heritage school, high school and college levels. In addition, she has been involved in projects developing web-based teaching/learning materials in Hindi and Urdu (such as hindiurduhealth.org/ and www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/mideast/hindi/). Her research has focused on heritage language learners, project-based learning, fossilization, etc. Outside of the field of pedagogy she works on the formulation of gender (self/) identity through language in Sanskrit texts, the pragmatics of politeness in Sanskrit and written Hindi discourse as well as Medieval Indian poetics in comparison with Ancient Greek and Roman Rhetoric and contemporary European literary theories.

Dr. S. Jaishankar, Ambassador of India, Washington D.C.

Dr. S. Jaishankar assumed his responsibilities as Ambassador of India to the United States in December 2013. Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, Dr. Jaishankar has represented India's interests and fostered friendly working relationships in countries around the world. Most recently, Dr. Jaishankar was the Ambassador of India to China from 2009 to 2013. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil in International Relations and a M.A. in Political Science. He is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Dr. Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter.

Dr. P. Jayaraman, Founder, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA Chapter

PJayaram.jpg

Dr. Panchapakesa Jayaraman, a renowned teacher and promoter of Hindi, has authored 26 books. He was honored by the President of India with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2006, and a 'Padma Shri in 2009. He is a recipient of the “Sahitya Vachaspati” award from Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and “Sahitya Bhushan” award from U. P. Hindi Samsthan, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Jayaraman came to the USA in November 1980 to establish a Bhavan’s branch in New York.  After leading Bhavan in USA for 28 years, Dr. Jayraman is currently working on 'Sant Vani' project.

Janis Jensen, Director, School of Global Education and Innovation, Kean University, New Jersey

Janis Jensen is an experienced world languages educator at the local, state and national levels, who has worked extensively with in service teachers on the development, implementation and maintenance of K-12 world language programs and on numerous professional development initiatives. Ms. Jensen served as State Coordinator of World Languages and International Education at the NJ Department of Education where she implemented standards-based reform in world languages and worked with world languages teacher preparation programs at NJ colleges and universities. Ms. Jensen has served as an adviser on a number of education projects/initiatives.She is a past president of NJ ASCD, the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL) and the National Council for State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL). Ms. Jensen currently serves as Director of the School for Global Education & Innovation and as Project Director of STARTALK language initiatives at Kean University.

Dr. Philip Lutgendorf, University of Iowa, President,  American Institute of Indian Studies

Philip Lutgendorf studied Hindi in Chicago, Delhi, and Banaras and lived for several years in North India before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Since 1985, he has taught Hindi and courses on Indian literature, history, and cinema in the University of Iowa’s Department of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures. His book on Ramcharitmanas oral performance, The Life of a Text (1991), won the A. K. Coomaraswamy Prize of the Association for Asian Studies. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002-03 for research on Hanuman, which has appeared as Hanuman’s Tale, The Messages of a Divine Monkey (2007). He maintains a website devoted to Hindi popular cinema (www.uiowa.edu/~incinema) and has recently been writing on the cultural history of “chai,” as well preparing as a new Ramcharitmanas translation for the Murty Classical Library of India An enthusiastic participant in the American Institute of Indian Studies Hindi Program (1979-80), Lutgendorf served on the AIIS Language Committee from 1997-2009 and became President of AIIS in 2010.

Dr. Scott McGinnis

Dr. Scott McGinnis is the Academic Advisor for the Washington office of the Defense Language Institute (DLI). He also holds the academic rank of professor at DLI. Between 1999 and 2003, he served as Executive Director of the National Council of Organizations of Less Commonly Taught Languages at the National Foreign Language Center in College Park, Maryland. His nearly three decades in the language teaching profession have included a decade of experience as supervisor of Chinese language programs at the University of Oregon and University of Maryland. Dr. McGinnis has authored or edited five books and over 50 book chapters, journal articles and reviews on language pedagogy and linguistics for the less commonly taught languages in general, and Chinese and Japanese in particular. He served two terms as President of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, as chair of The College Board Chinese Language Test Development Committee for the Educational Testing Service, and as a member of the Board of Examiners for the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. His current professional responsibilities include serving as Coordinator for the Interagency Language Roundtable for the United States government.

Anup P. Mahajan, Executive Director of the National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC), Washington, DC.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the NCLRC reflects the federal government’s priority of improving the teaching and learning of foreign languages in K-12 and higher education. At a time when international economic and security issues demand American citizens to fully engage with people of other cultures, Anup leads innovative education research, collaborations, and professional development to meet urgent national needs. He has edited a book on K-12 language teacher education, and has authored book chapters on bilingual education and is published in peer-reviewed academic journals. He has been an invited speaker for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the White House’s Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and the U.S. Department of State.

A 2011-2012 White House Fellow Regional Finalist, Mr. Mahajan holds a graduate degree in Linguistics from Georgetown University, and draws on a diverse background in economics, Fortune 500 corporate leadership, and research in language variation. Prior to the NCLRC, he was a senior management consultant for Aon-Hewitt, a global HR strategies firm, where he led a portfolio of multinational clients with solutions to design, implement, and communicate a range of global pension retirement strategies.


Mr. Mahajan was born and raised in the U.S., and his heritage language is Marathi.  He nurtures a life-long passion for the advancement of social change and empowerment through education.  In the late 1990s, Mr. Mahajan co-led an initiative funded by Community Aid & Sponsorship Programmes (CASP) and Plan International to increase access to primary education for child laborers, children of migrant workers, and leprosy victims in Pune, India. In the past few years, he has served as an Associate member of the Board for the National Museum of Language, in College Park, MD. He is currently involved in global philanthropic and community projects with the Art of Living Foundation, and is the Executive Director (and violinist) of the Urban Philharmonic Society in Washington, DC - a non-profit organization committed to bringing classical music opportunities to minorities and their communities.

Sushma Malhotra, New York Board of Education, New York

सुषमा मल्होत्रा न्यू यॉर्क शहर के शिक्षा विभाग जिला 79 मेंएक सहायक प्रधानाचार्य के रूप में काम करतीहैंI
इससे पहले वह न्यू यॉर्क शहर के शिक्षा विभाग के केंद्रीय कार्यालय में अंग्रेजी भाषा की निर्देशात्मक सहायता विशेषज्ञ के रूप में काम करती थीं. उन्होंने भारत में सीमा सुरक्षा बल हायर सेकेंडरी स्कूल, जालंधर, सेक्रेड हार्ट कॉन्वेंट स्कूल, लुधियाना में शिक्षिका के रूप में काम किया, और फिर डी ए वी पब्लिक स्कूल में प्रधानाचार्य के रूप में, कुल्लू, हिमाचलप्रदेश में,कामकिया। वे 1996  से अखिल विश्व हिन्दी समिति की सांस्कृतिक सचिव के रूप में काम कर रही हैं। उन्होंने २००६ में न्यू यॉर्क में अंग्रेजी के अलावा हिंदी और पंजाबी में परीक्षाएं प्रारम्भ कीं। क्वींस के जॉन एडम हाई स्कूल में मूल भाषा के रूप में हिंदी शिक्षण शुरू कराया। सन 2009 से स्टार टॉक कार्यक्रम निर्देशित कर रही हैं जिसके तहत सैकड़ों विरासत और गैर भारतीय बच्चे हिन्दी सीख रहे हैं।

Sushma Malhotra Works as an assistant principal in New York City Department of Education in District 79. She worked as an English Language Learner Instructional Support Specialist at New York City Department of Education central office. In India she worked as teacher in Border Security Force Higher Secondary School, Jalandhar, Sacred Heart Convent School, Ludhiana, and then worked as a Principal at DAV Public School, Kulu, HP.  She has been associated with Akhil Vishwa Hindi Samiti, NY as a cultural secretary since 1996.  In 2006, she initiated Hindi and Punjabi Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Regents examination for the New York State Department of Education.  She initiated Hindi teaching  as a native language at John Adam High school, Queens, NY. She was a Hindi language delegate for the New York State Association of Bilingual Education (NYSABE) for last five years. She has been directing the STARTALK Summer Hindi language program since 2009 where hundreds of students have been trained to communicate in Hindi. She is authored a Hindi poetry book, Anjuli Bhar Pushap, published by Akhil Vishva hindi Samiti, New York.


Leeladhar Mandloi, Director, Bharatiya Jnanpeeth, Former Director, Akashvani, India


Dr. Bijoy Mehta, Poet,  President, Vishwa Hindi Samiti, New York


डॉ. मेहता न्यूयॉर्क में भारतीय समाज में विशिष्ट स्थान अर्जित कर चुके है। आपको अब तक जो प्रतिष्ठा और सम्मान प्राप्त हो चुके हैं। बहुयामी प्रतिभा के धनी ,डॉ.बिजय कुमार मेहता एक ख्यातिलब्ध ह्रदय रोग विशेषज्ञ के साथ एक सह्रदय भावुक और सफल कवि हैं। अनेक खण्ड काव्य  एवम् महाकाव्य लिखे हैं जिनमें " मधुमास के फूल," पुष्पांजलि" तथागत," "भिक्षुणी," "प्रणय परिजात,"सम्राट चन्द्रगुप्त को भारत एवम् अमेरिका दोनो ही देशों में विशेष सराहना मिली है। " सुमन सुन्दरी काव्य संकलन.एवम् "सम्राट चन्द्रगुप्त", चाणक्य" एवम् "मगध साम्राज्य "एक ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण एवम् उनकी नवीनतम रचना है।

 

Parmendra Mishra 

परमेन्द्र ने अंग्रेजी साहित्य में  स्नात्तकोत्तर  की शिक्षा ललित नारायण मिथिला विश्वविद्यालय से प्राप्त की । न्यू यॉर्क विश्वविद्यालय में फुलब्राइट  विदेशी भाषा शिक्षण सहयोगी बनने से पहले इन्होने दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय में तीन साल तक स्नातक स्तरीय अध्यापन का काम किया । इनकी शैक्षणिक रुचि द्वितीय भाषा शिक्षण, डायस्पोरिक साहित्य एवं मैथिलि साहित्य  में है । 

Mr. Mishra has an M.A. in English literature from Lalit Narayan Mithila University. He taught English literature to undergraduate students for three years at the University of Delhi before joining New York University as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant. His academic interests are diasporic literature, second language teaching and Maithili Literature.

Mr. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, Consul General of India, New York

Ambassador Mulay took charge as Consul General of India in New York on April 23, 2013.  Born on November 5, 1958 in Kolhapur District of Maharashtra State (Western India), Ambassador Mulay is an award winning writer in Marathi and Hindi.  He has contributed several books some of which have been translated into Kannada, Arabic, Urdu and Dhivehi. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1983. Since then, he served in the Indian Missions in Tokyo, Moscow, and Port Louis. Serving as High Commissioner of India in Maldives has been one of his most remarkable assignments as a diplomat.

Vartika Nanda, Lady Shriram College, Delhi

Vartika Nanda is a media trainer, gender communicator, voice of women empowerment and a media traveler. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar, 2013 (Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award) to her on the occasion of International Women’s Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 8, 2014. This award has been given in recognition for her contribution in creating awareness on women’s issues through media and literature. With a PhD on the coverage of rape cases in Media, she is presently a permanent faculty member at Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.

Ashok Ojha

Ashok Ojha, a New Jersey based journalist and teacher, is president of Yuva Hindi Sansthan, a non-profit educational and cultural organization, dedicated to promotion of Hindi and Indian culture in the United States. He is teaching Hindi to heritage and non-heritage learners in schools as well as a NJ community college.  As a director of STARTALK programs Mr. Ojha supports integration web 2.0 tools in his curriculum for the 21st century learners. He advocates to remove all barriers in language acquisition for learners while ensuring that memorization should not be a creative way to acquire the language in its cultural context and perspective. Mr. Ojha regulary attends teacher development workshops that enriches his knowledge and skills. He believes that teaching language is an ongoing process that can enable a Heritage learner, grown in his or her adopted nation, to connect with the language and culture of his ancestors in order to appreciate the life style, traditions, values, history, mythology and aspirations of the native culture.

Dr. Herman Van Olphen, University of Texas, Austin


डॉ. हरमन वन ओल्फ़न ने पचास वर्ष पहले, १९६४ में, हिन्दी की पढ़ाई आरम्भ की। उस समय वे भाषा विज्ञान के स्नातकोत्तर स्तर के विद्यार्थी थे और हिन्दी में उनकी रुचि बढ़ती रही। सन १९६६ में फुलब्राइट और अमरीकन भारतीय संस्थान (AIIS) के वज़ीफ़े पाकर दो वर्ष भारत में बिताए। १९९० से १९९८ तक  उन्होंने भारत में  अमरीकन भारतीय संस्थान के भाषा कार्यक्रम संभाले। २००६ से २०१० तक वे टेक्सस विश्वविद्यालय के हिंदी उर्दू फ्लैगशिप के  निदेशक रहे और २०१० में, ४२ वर्ष हिन्दी पढ़ाने का काम करने के बाद, उनकी अवकाशप्राप्ति हुई और वे प्रोफेसर एमेरिटस बने।

Pandit Dr Rampersad Parasram

Pt Dr Rampersad Parasram is a retired Chief Medical Officer of Trinidad and Tobago and is currently a Director of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. In 2010 he was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) and was honoured for his work in the area of Hindi and culture by the Indian High Commission in 2000 with the Vishist Seva Sanmaan. He has been a Pundit for 56 years. He was first Chairman of Diwali Nagar,the United National Congress and the Vivekananda Society of Trinidad and Tobago and is cohost of Taza Khabar on 106.5 FM.
प. डॉ राम प्रसाद परसराम

 प. डॉ राम प्रसाद परसराम त्रिनिदाद एंड टोबैगो के रिटायर्ड चीफ मेडिकल अफसर  और ईस्टर्न रीजनल हेल्थ अथॉरिटी का डायरेक्टर है . २०१० में उनको सरकार की तरफ से पब्लिक सर्विस मेडल ऑफ़ मेरिट ,[स्वर्ण], प्रदान  किये गए  और २०००  में भारत की उच्चाधिकारी ने उनके हिंदी भाषा और संस्कृति  के लिए विशिस्ट सेवा सन्मान प्रदान किया. पंडित परसराम पछले ५५ साल से पंडिताई कर रहा हैं.. दिवाली नगर और यूनाइटेड नेशनल  कांग्रेस के पहला अध्यक्ष था और १०६.५ FM की  "ताज़ा खबर" का को होस्ट भी है

Dr. Shaheen Parveen

Dr. Shaheen Parveen has recently joined Rutgers University She is currently teaching three levels of Hindi. Before joining the Rutgers University, Dr. Parveen was a Lecturer in Foreign Language and served as the language coordinator for the South Asia Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania. She was also the director of the Hindi STARTALK summer program for four years at UPenn. She has taught Hindi and Urdu at Columbia University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She also taught a course for the Early Childhood Teacher’s Program at Kingsboro Community College in New York.

She earned her doctoral degree from Lucknow University, India, with a dissertation focused on retention of literacy. She has developed Hindi lessons

She is developing lessons using authentic audio video clips and Hindi movies based on the updated World-Readiness Standards Hindi Language Learning. These lessons will integrate language learning with cultural education.

She has been serving as a reviewer for various language related national organizations such as, proposal reviewer for STARTALK, instructional material reviewer for NFLC. She has reviewed several Hindi and Urdu textbook manuscripts for various publishers.

She is an ACTFL-certified oral proficiency tester-rater for Hindi.


Dr. Joy Kreeft Peyton, Senior Fellow, Center for Applied linguistics, Washington DC

Dr. Joy Peyton is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC and Senior Project Associate with the Chinese Early Language Immersion Network (CELIN). She works with teachers, teacher educators, and researchers to implement educational innovations and to study factors that influence their success. In collaboration with other language educators and researchers, she co-established the Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages (www.cal.org/heritage) at the Center for Applied Linguistics and is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Heritage Language Journal. She is co-editor of two major volumes on heritage languages in the United States: Handbook of Heritage, Community, and Native American Languages in the United States: Research, Policy, and Educational Practice (2014) and Heritage Languages in America: Preserving a National Resource (2002) and of a special issue of the Heritage Language Journal (winter 2013) focused on the vitality of heritage languages in the United States, one of which is Hindi.

Dr. Rakesh Ranjan

Dr. Rakesh Ranjan is a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Hindi Urdu Program. He received a Ph.D. in Linguistics (Some Morphological and Syntactic Features of Mauritian Bhojpuri) from University of Delhi (1997). He has been teaching Hindi language, literature and linguistics to American graduate and undergraduate students for the last fifteen years. He began his teaching career as the Head (Program Director) of the Hindi Language Program of the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) in Varanasi, India in 1993. He joined the Hindi Program at Emory in 1999. He has designed and supervised many Hindi programs. He has been active in academic projects of the South Asian Language Resource Center (SALRC) and the South Asian Language Teachers Association (SALTA). His research interests are Hindi pedagogy, issues of heritage learners and South Asian diaspora.

Dr. Shailja Saksena, Ontario, Canada

I am a results-oriented person with strong experience in strategic planning, public relations and interdepartmental coordination. I am a CHRP CANDIDATE with thorough knowledge of Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code and all the other related legislations. I taught Hindi Literature to Undergraduate students in University of Delhi, India for eight years.

Dr. Jishnu Shankar

िष्णु शंकर यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ टेक्सस ऐट ऑस्टिन के एशियन स्टडीज़ विभाग और हिंदी-उर्दू फ़्लैगशिप में वरिष्ठ व्याख्याता हैं।  सन् 2007 में ऑस्टिन आने से पहले वह सिराक्यूज़ यूनिवर्सिटी के भाषा विभाग में हिंदी पढ़ाते थे और वहाँ के दक्षिण एशिया केंद्र (साउथ एशिया सेंटर) में सह-निदेशक भी थे।  दिल्ली के दिल्ली स्कूल ऑफ़ एकोनॉमिक्स और इण्डियन इंस्टिट्यूट ऑफ़ मास कम्यूनिकेशन, तथा सिराक्यूज़ यूनिवर्सिटी के स्नातक, जिष्णु दिल्ली में कुछ काल संवाददाता के रूप में भी कार्य कर चुके हैं।  अंतर्जाल के माध्यम से भाषा सिखाने का उपक्रम 1997 में सिराक्यूज़ यूनिवर्सिटी से ही आरम्भ किया।  हिंदी-उर्दू फ़्लैगशिप के तत्त्वावधान में न्यू यॉर्क यूनिवर्सिटी और कोलम्बिया यूनिवर्सिटी के संयुक्त प्रयास से “हिंदी और उर्दू में सेहत की भाषा” नाम के अंतर्जाल का निर्माण किया जिसमें वीडियो साक्षात्कारों की सहायता से उच्चस्तरीय स्वास्थ्य सम्बंधी भाषा शिक्षण का प्रयास है।  भाषा पढ़ाने के अतिरिक्त जिष्णु भारत की अघोर परम्परा पर भी शोध करते हैं और इस परम्परा के साहित्य का अनुवाद भी करते रहे हैं।  अमरीका और हिंदुस्तान के साथ-साथ जापान, नॉर्वे और जर्मनी के विश्वविद्यालयों में हिंदी शिक्षण के अतिरिक्त अघोर परम्परा पर प्रस्तुतियाँ एवं कार्यशालाएँ कर चुके हैं।  उनके मुख्य प्रकाशन हिंदी में “अघोर वचन शास्त्र” एवं “भगवानरामलीलामृत”, तथा अंग्रेज़ी में “द बुक ऑफ़ अघोर विज़्डम” हैं।


Jishnu Shankar is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin with the Department of Asian Studies and the Hindi-Urdu Flagship.  Before coming to Austin in the year 2007, he worked at Syracuse University, NY, as a Hindi lecturer as well as the Associate Director for the South Asia Center.  A graduate of the Delhi School of Economics and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Jishnu has also had a brief stint as a journalist in Delhi.  He began his efforts to teach Hindi through the medium of the internet in 1997 while still at Syracuse University.  Under the auspices of the Hindi-Urdu Flagship, and in collaboration with the New York University and Columbia University, he has participated in the joint creation of the “Language for Health in Hindi and Urdu” website which attempts to teach the language of health and medicine for higher level students of Hindi and Urdu.  Besides teaching language Jishnu also conducts research on the Aghor tradition of India and has also translated literature from this tradition.  Besides the United States and India, He has made presentations and participated in workshops in universities in Japan, Norway and Germany on Hindi pedagogy as well as the Aghor tradition.  His main publications in Hindi are “Aghor Vachan Shastra,” and “Bhagawanramleelamrit,” and in English, “The Book of Aghor Wisdom.”

Dr. Michael Shapiro, Divisional Dean of Humanities, University of Washington

माइकल शपीरो १९७० से University of Washington के संकाय के सदस्य हैं । वह एशियाई भाषाओं और साहित्य के विभाग में प्रोफ़ेसर हैं और भाषाविज्ञान (Linguistics) के विभाग में भी  संबद्ध (Adjunct) प्रोफ़ेसर हैं ।  आजकल वे मानविकी (humanities) के संकायाध्यक्ष का भी कार्यभार सँभाल रहे हैं । उन्होंने बी ए न्यू यार्क स्थित क्वींस कालेज से किया और एम ए और पी एच डी शिकागो विश्वविद्यालय से (भाषाविज्ञान के क्षेत्र में) हासिल की थी । उन का शोध और शिक्षण उत्तर भारत की भाषाओं, भाषाविज्ञान, साहित्य, और संस्कृति के क्षेत्र में है । इन विषयों पर उनकी अनेक पुस्तकें और लेख प्रकाशित हो चुके हैं जिनमें दक्षिण एशीयाई उपमहाद्वीप का sociolinguistics, हिंदी भाषा का व्याकरण और इतिहास, आधुनिक हिंदी गद्य साहित्य, और मध्यकालीन भक्ति साहित्य की भाषा और व्याकरण सम्मिलित हैं ।

Michael Shapiro has been on the faculty of the University of Washington since 1970. He is currently Professor of Hindi in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Linguistics. He also serves as the University of Washington’s Divisional Dean for the Humanities. He did his undergraduate study (in linguistics) at Queens College in New York City and his graduate work (also in linguistics) at the University of Chicago.  His research and teaching is related to the languages, linguistics, literatures, and cultures of North India. Topics on which he has published books and articles include the sociolinguistics of the South Asian subcontinent, the grammar and history of the Hindi language, modern Hind prose literature, and the language and grammar of medieval devotional texts.


Dr. Rupert Snell, Director, Hindi Urdu Flagship, University of Texas, Austin

Dr. Rupert Snell is the Director of the Hindi Urdu Flagship and a Professor in the Department of Asian Studies. Before moving to Texas he taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, for three decades. Snell is a recipient of the prestigious Sir George Grierson Hindi Sevi Sammaan Award given by the President of India in 1997 in recognition of his services to the Hindi language. Known worldwide for his textbooks in the Teach Yourself series, he teaches Hindi language at all levels. His research interests lie primarily in 16th and 17th century poetry; publications in the field include The Eighty-Four Hymns of Hita Harivamsha (a little-known devotional text) and The Hindi Classical Tradition: A Braj Bhasa Reader (an expanded edition of which is currently under preparation, together with a sister volume on the Awadhi Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas). His study Hindi and Urdu since 1800: a Common Reader, co-written with Christopher Shackle in 1990, is available in full under the Resources section of the Flagship's website. A book that has received much acclaim is Snell’s translation of the autobiography of the 20th-century Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, published in 1998 under the title In the Afternoon of Time. Snell has also edited several volumes of papers, including According to Tradition: Hagiographical Writing in India (with Winand Callewaert), Classics of Modern South Asian Literature (with Ian Raeside), and Chutnefying English: the Phenomenon of Hinglish (with Rita Kothari). Current projects include a reader in Hindi autobiography, a translation of the Satsai of Biharilal, and, in collaboration with Laura Brueck of the University of Colorado, a study of the stylistics of 20th-century Hindi writing.

Ashok Vyas, Program Director, International Television, NY

जोधपुर, राजस्थान में जन्मे अशोक व्यास एक कवि ह्रदय, संवेदनशील टी वी प्रोग्रामर हैं, उन्होंने हिंदी साहित्य से सम्बंधित कार्यक्रम 'शब्द स्टार' में भारत के कई साहित्यकारों  से साक्षात्कार किया। "आओ मिल कर सीखें हिंदी ' कार्यक्रम बनाया।  "जीत गए गीत" कार्यक्रम लिखा और प्रस्तुत किया।  भारतीय संस्कृति सम्बन्धी कई कार्यक्रम प्रस्तुत किये। जोधपुर से मुम्बई में स्वतंत्र लेखन के लिए दो बरस रहने के बात १९९७ से अमेरिका में निवास करने वाले अशोक व्यास पिछले १५ बरसों से न्यू यॉर्क के आई टी वी पर विविध कार्यर्क्रमों द्वारा भाषा की सेवा का अवसर पाते रहे है।  इन दिनों सोम से शुक्र तक, शाम साढ़े सात बजे से वे विविध विषयों पर आधारित एक घंटे का जीवंत कार्यक्रम 'इनसाइट टूनाइट विद अशोक व्यास ' प्रस्तुत करते हैं।

Ashok Vyas, a well known TV anchor at ITV, is a poet, Hindu priest, story writer and playwright. Prior to moving to USA in 1997, he had served with All India Radio for nearly 14 years. He produces TV programs on religious and cultural themes and hosts a one hour live show 'Insight Tonight with Ashok Vyas'.