Namaste! I’m a passionate educator and researcher. I study talent development and social-emotional learning. Currently, I’m a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. I received a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Purdue University, USA.
My research and practice focus on how educators can maximize human potential through education. Typically, I focus on student populations from middle and high schools. I mainly interact with students from India and the U.S.
I became interested in teaching when I was 17. Since then, I have been involved in various educational programs within and outside of school settings. I have been a coach, teacher, and mentor for students since 2007.
I have a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information Technology from Vishwakarma Institute of Technology. After working as a Software Engineer at TIBCO Inc. for two years, I formally moved into the education sector in 2013.
I could not find a calling in the corporate job, which is when I started searching for something more meaningful. I tried to recap and find out the most satisfying moments of my life so far. The results of this litmus test were crystal clear–I enjoyed being with students the most. I decided to make a career shift in 2015.
I earned a Master’s degree in Education from Azim Premji University, where I specialized in Curriculum and Teaching. In those two years, I traveled across the country, touching all four corners of India. I conducted science camps in remote villages on India-China and India-Pakistan borders and involved myself in research studies in three different states.
With foundation training in educational theories and a vivid travel experience, I joined Jnana Prabodhini’s Institute of Psychology as the Assistant Professor of Education. I worked as a faculty member in India’s first-ever diploma course in gifted education. These three years in academia propelled me to take a step further in higher education.
In 2018, I moved to the USA to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Studies at Purdue University. I coordinated Summer Youth Programs at Purdue University’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute. And I earned a specialization in quantitative and qualitative educational research methods.
For my dissertation, I studied how adolescents can develop a concern for others through practicing empathy, compassion, and prosocial behavior. In addition, I developed an interest in transformational giftedness, positive creativity, and inequities in gifted education.
Now at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, I am studying bridge-building interventions that can help counter the rising polarization in the world.
Service
I started volunteering with a non-profit organization called Jnana Prabodhini where I served as a youth program leader from 2007 to 2018. Besides, I have been involved in science popularization and talent development initiatives in remote rural regions of India.
Now, I volunteer with the Jnana Prabodhini Foundation, a non-profit organization in the U.S. In my role as the Communications and Networking head, I enjoy networking with people across the globe. I have been a part of four major projects and fundraising campaigns dedicated to the causes of education and COVID-19 pandemic relief.
Feel free to contact me at chowkase (dot) aakash (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form on this website.
Aakash Chowkase 