ABOUT US: BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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The Indo-American Heritage Museum is supported by a diverse Board of community activists, professionals, scholars, business people and artists.

Gyan Agarwal, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Electrical Engineering, has been a volunteer at the Indo-American Center (IAC) and the Indo-American Heritage Museum (IAHM).

Nafisa Bandukwala is a former Chicago Public School librarian who grew up in Mumbai and earned her M.A. at the University of Iowa. She is a regular volunteer in IAHM/IAC cultural outreach programs.

Mannan Bandukwala, a retired Chemical Engineer, educated in Pune and Mumbai, India and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A pioneer, he arrived in Chicago in the 1950’s, and volunteers regularly at the Indo-American Center.

Happie Datt came to the U.S. in 1970 to earn an MS in Food Science at the University of Florida. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters and is currently serving as a Business Development Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Macedonia.

Ebin C. Ephrem serves dual roles, on the Development Committee, and the Communications Committee, at the Indo-American Heritage Museum (IAHM). Professionally, he is entrenched in the constantly emerging, constantly changing world of mobile (cellular) technologies, devising and executing on go-to-market strategies, for some of the world’s premier enterprise, network and broadcast customers

Bindu Ganga is a clinical therapist. She conducts local and international leadership trainings and works at NorthShore University HealthSystem to advance public awareness and knowledge of perinatal mood disorders.

Ann Lata Kalayil served as the first woman president of the Indo-American Democratic Organization. She is co-founder of the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI) and active in Asian American community organizations.

Lakshmi Menon is a writer committed to inter-cultural exchange and a past president of the IAC Board of Directors. She serves as a resource for Indian American content in Chicago mainstream media.

Asha Murthy is a cytogeneticist by training. Her interest in design has led her to establish her own silk import business. She is actively involved in the Kannada community and chaired the Women’s Forum for the 2008 World Kannada Conference.

Padma Rangaswamy is an historian and author of many works on Indian Americans. She has taught at major Chicago area universities and worked on neighborhood issues at the Chicago History Museum.

Jagriti Ruparel, Vice President, J.P. Morgan Private Client Services, has worked in the financial industry for over 16 years. She is past President of ‘Apna Ghar,’ a Chicago domestic violence organization focusing on the South Asian community.

Shobhana Sanghvi is a founding member of the ILA Foundation, and on the Board of the Indo-American Center. She has supported numerous cultural events including exhibitions at the Asia Society, the Sackler Gallery, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Ami M. Shah is an art historian and epidemiologist.  In her day job, she examines health disparities and is driven by her passion for social justice.  She is proud to serve on the IAHM board and committed to documenting and preserving the South Asian immigrant experience as part of America's history.

Dorothie Shah, a former history teacher at Evanston Township High School, has served as a consultant to the University of Chicago South Asia Outreach Educational Project, Evenings for Educators at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago History Museum.

Surendra P. Shah is Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil Engineering at Northwestern University where he is director of the Center for Advanced Cement Based Materials. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Prem Sharma is co-founder of Apna Ghar, the first South Asian domestic violence shelter in the U.S. An accomplished artist, she has supported arts and culture in the Indian American community and served as member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Asian Affairs and also as a member of the Illinois Arts Council.

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IAHM’s programs showcase Indian American talent in all fields of endeavor, including dance, music, film, theater, photography, science and literature.

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