Seventeen years (13 years in India and 6 years in the United States) of university-level teaching, research, mentorship and advising experience.
My UMass Amherst Teaching Evaluations at Glance
My teaching is grounded in a simple conviction: education is an enduring ethical relationship built on intellectual rigor, empathy, and curiosity. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s belief that “the synonym of pedagogy is love,” I strive to create classrooms where every student feels seen, challenged, and empowered to succeed. I recognize that students arrive with different linguistic, cultural, and educational experiences, and I design my courses to make learning transparent, inclusive, and accessible. As a communication scholar, I integrate critical inquiry with real-world application. My courses explore emerging technologies, visual culture, media, and communication while preparing students to think critically about the opportunities and ethical challenges of an AI-mediated world. Rather than treating AI simply as a tool, I encourage students to question how technologies shape knowledge, identity, and society through innovative, reflective, and hands-on learning experiences. My classroom is participatory, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented. Students are encouraged to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, and connect theory with lived experience. Whether teaching, my goal is to cultivate thoughtful communicators, ethical professionals, and engaged citizens. I believe learning is most meaningful when it transforms not only what students know, but also how they see themselves and the world around them.
Teaching Experiences
A. Teaching Associate/Instructor of Record, Undergraduate-level courses taught, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA:
Courses developed and taught
- *COMM 490PL: Pixelated Lies: Decoding Digital Deceit (Fall 2025) [*introduced as a new offering]
- COMM 375: Writing as Communication (In-person in Spring & Fall, 2021-2025)
- COMM 375: Writing as Communication [Online/Async Version in Summer & Winter 2025)
- COMM 260: Public Speaking (Fall 2022)
B. Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate-level courses taught, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA:
- COMM 122: Introduction/Media Industries & Institutions (Spring 2026 with Prof. Martha Fuentes-Bautista)
- COMM 211: Communication & Sustainable Social Change (Spring 2026 with Prof. Tenzin D. Sharling)
- JOURNAL 380: Black Freedom Struggle & the Press (Fall 2026 with Prof. Kathy Roberts Forde)
C.Grader, Undergraduate-level courses taught, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA:
- COMM 328: Race, Inequality & Representation (Spring 2022 & 2024; Fall 2021, 2022 & 2023 with Prof. Sut Jhally)
- JOURNAL 201: Introduction to Journalism (Fall 2023 with Prof. Rodrigo Zamith)
D. Senior Assistant Professor, Graduate-level courses taught, Central University of Kashmir, India:
Courses developed and taught
- MACJ-104: Print Media Reporting (2013-2020)
- MACJ-302: Covering Conflict and Development (2016-2020)
- MACJ-202: Print Media Editing (2013-2020)
- MCJ 402: Specialization-Option II Narrative Journalism (2011-2020)
- MCJ-104 Development of Personality & Language Skills (2014)
- MCJ-304: Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations (2011-2012)
- MCJ-203: Writing for Media (2011-2012)
- MACJ-105: Film Appreciation (2011-2012)
- MCJ-104: Reporting & Editing for Print Media (2011-2012)
E. Assistant Professor, Graduate-level courses taught, MANUU, South India:
Courses developed and taught
- Course 4.1 Media Management (Jan 2008-June 2011)
- Course 3.1 International and Intercultural Communication (Jan 2008-June 2011)
- Course 2.4 Advertising & Market Research (Jan 2008-June 2011)
- Course 1.3 Reporting & Editing for Print Media (Jan 2008-June 2011)
Teaching Awards
Commendations for Excellent Teaching Evaluations from Student Response to Teaching Instruction (SRTI) scores at UMass:
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Spring 2022, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Fall 2022, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Spring 2023, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Fall 2023, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Fall 2024, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Commendation for Excellent Teaching Evaluations, Fall 2025, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Graduate Studies Committee, Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA. “Commendations are for graduate instructors teaching their own courses or lab sections who demonstrate excellence in the classroom and commitment to their students’ success.”
- Finalist, Distinguished Teaching Award (2021–2025), Graduate Teaching Associate category, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA.
- Excellent Mentorship in Writing (2016), Campus Diaries, Bengaluru, India and University of Illinois at Chicago.