Our Gratitude
We are grateful to all of the contributors who tirelessly make things happen at HSCI with their ideas, contributions, and efforts. These individuals include the board members, donors, functional leaders, principal faculty, visiting faculty, country mentors, and volunteers.
Board & Principal Faculty Members
Kailash Joshi
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Gaurav Rastogi
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Punit Mahendru
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Usha Narasimhan
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Ashok Chandrasekhar
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Zachary Ginder
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Mangala Kumar
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Mukund Acharya
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Naras Bhat
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Functional Leaders
Vijay AggarwalCFO Vijay Aggarwal brings his accounting expertise to manage HSCI's financial health. His experience at the Industrial Finance Corporation of India and as a nominee director enriches our financial planning. He actively serves on the boards of SDK Temple and the Braj Cultural and Arts Society while volunteering at Kaiser Permanente and Sewa International. |
Anjana BhargavaDirector of Admissions Anjana Bhargava guides prospective students through HSCI's admissions process, helping them find the right path in spiritual care education. She brings her background in science and mathematics to evaluate applications and counsel candidates. As a certified Ayurvedic practitioner in Boston, she understands both traditional wisdom and modern healthcare needs. She develops admissions strategies to build diverse, committed student cohorts. |
Pt Neil PersadAdvisory Purohit Pandit Neil Dev Persad brings deep spiritual knowledge from his Trinidad heritage to guide HSCI's spiritual programs. As an IT Director in cloud telecommunications, he balances modern expertise with traditional wisdom. He serves as a spiritual advisor to multiple organizations while performing as an accomplished Indian classical musician. Through his role as advisory purohit, he helps HSCI maintain authentic spiritual practices while adapting them for contemporary healthcare settings. |
Mala SettyAcademic Advisor Dr. Sreemala (Mala) Setty brings her unique perspective on Hindu mythology and depth psychology to HSCI's spiritual care programs. A retired engineer with a Ph.D. in mythology, she discovers sacred meaning in everyday moments, primarily through her interactions with family and grandchildren. She helps HSCI students understand how Hindu traditions can transform ordinary experiences into spiritual growth and connection opportunities. |
Manu SwamiAssistant Registrar Manu Swamy combines her business management expertise with her passion for yoga and holistic living. A certified Vysala yoga instructor, she serves multiple community organizations, including Boy Scouts, VSNA, Chinmaya Mission, and Community for Immunity. At HSCI, she applies her marketing background and volunteer experience to support student registration and program administration. Her commitment to service strengthens HSCI's administrative capabilities. |
Sudha RamakrishnaHCRC Library & Archives Lead As a medical librarian, Sudha Ramakrishnan helps healthcare teams build evidence-based practices. She deepens her Hindu and interfaith knowledge through Chinmaya International Foundation and GTU courses. Her experience as music coordinator for Chinmaya Mission DFW adds a cultural dimension to her work. She aims to bring spiritual resources to hospital and university communities. |
Pooja ParkashTraya Care System Lead Pooja Parkash combines her software engineering career at a major Bay Area corporation with her passion for Vedic teachings and the Geeta. She holds degrees from PEC Chandigarh and BITS Pilani. Beyond her technical work, she enjoys dancing and singing bhajans. She balances her spiritual service with raising two sons—one studying at UIUC and another in high school. |
Ashis KhanAccreditation co-Lead Ashis Khan balances his 30-year engineering career with his commitment to compassionate service. Through HSCI's training, he learned to create healing spaces in hospitals, hospices, and senior care facilities. He guides community members through life transitions by practicing the Gita's teaching of seeing the divine in everyone. His work with expert healthcare providers, chaplains, and spiritual teachers enriches HSCI's accreditation standards. His dedication to service complements his professional life. |
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Sudha BhatAccreditation co-lead & HCRC co-lead Sudha Bhat brings her engineering and business expertise to lead HSCI's accreditation initiatives. An ICF-certified life coach with spiritual care education from CIF, CHT, and GTU ICP, she helps strengthen Hindu diaspora support programs. She promotes interfaith dialogue and community service. Her combination of technical knowledge and spiritual training helps HSCI develop professional standards for Hindu chaplaincy. |
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Visiting Faculty
Kamal Abu-Shamsieh, PhD
(GTU) About Chaplaincy Mukund Acharya, PhD Senior Care and Health Directives Dilip Amin, PhD Interfaith Marriage Madan Arora Hindu Samskaras Bruce Feldstein, MD Compassionate Care Laddi Jhuty Estate planning basics Subhash Kak, PhD Distinguished Lecture Vijay Kapoor Hindu tenets Jessi Kaur Sewa, an integral part of Sikh tradition Mangala Kumar Safe Space and Field Services S. Mahadevan, MD End of life care Judith Ragsdale, PhD Interfaith Ministry |
Amita Roy-Shah, EdD
Hybrid parenting Mala Setty, PhD Hindu Samskaras Farid Senzai (Santa Clara U) Service in Islamic tradition Mukta Sharangpani, PhD Domestic relations Rita Sherma, PhD Distinguished Lecture Asha Shipman, PhD Campus chaplaincy Anil Singh-Molares Spiritual Direction Amrutur Srinivasan, Ph.D. Hindu Marriage Padma Srinivasan, MD Diet, health, and cancer Sw.Svatmavidyananda, PhD Distinguished Lecture Yogacharya Uma O’Brien Distinguished Lecture |