Postdoctoral Research Associate
Young Hall, Suite 120
Phone: (765) 494-9399
Email: achhikar@purdue.edu
Alankrita Chhikara is CILMAR's Postdoctoral Research Associate.
Her responsibilities include:
- Curriculum development and assessment of learning in CILMAR
- Coordinating and mentoring Semester Abroad in Intercultural Learning (SAIL) courses
- Conducting research in the area of intercultural learning and competence
She obtained her Ph.D. from the Purdue College of Education in Curriculum Studies.
Little did she know that her association with CILMAR, after securing the COIL grant to offer an intercultural learning course, would become an enduring relationship. Alankrita went on to serve as a Graduate Assistant to design intercultural learning curriculum and assist in coordinating and mentoring the Semester Abroad in Intercultural Learning program before starting her current position.
Alankrita completed her undergraduate studies at Soka University of America (SUA) in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences and developed an interest in education that fosters global citizenship for interdependent living. During her undergraduate studies, she studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan, which marked her first significant experience with intercultural exchange; this experience was pivotal in shaping her understanding of the importance of cultural diversity and intercultural learning.
At Purdue, she has taught Multiculturalism in Education, Community Issues and Applications for Educators, and Global Studies Seminar, courses that explore the impact of diversity, promote social justice, and facilitate global citizen becoming. She has engaged in research projects that explore social justice-focused approaches to study abroad and international learning, developing intercultural competence for multicultural engineering team effectiveness, and designing professional development on critical approaches to race, gender, immigration, and language.
