CREST is delighted to introduce its newest Research Scientist, Dr. Vartika Chandra Saman who joined the institute on July 1, 2024. Dr. Saman is excited about her new role and motivated to lead research and educational efforts that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA), as well as workforce development, while also securing funds through grant writing to grow impactful projects.
Dr. Saman aims to build effective partnerships that enhance community engagement. She has been actively engaging in research on climate and environmental disaster management strategies and contributing to design and data collection and analysis. Further, Dr. Saman provides assistance in organizing events such as workshops and focus groups as well as contributes to teaching and mentoring students on social science integration into engineering applications.
Dr. Saman expressed a personal connection to DEI especially as a brown woman who has had to fight for every opportunity in life. She added, “I’ve been passionate about environmental justice since I was a child because I witnessed my grandparents’ sustainable lifestyle on their farm. At CREST, it excites me to be able to combine the two powerful concepts of DEI and environmental justice into meaningful work that I believe can truly make a difference in the world.”
Dr. Saman at the 2023 SACNAS, in Portland Oregon, where she participated and presented her work
Group photo from the National Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workshop in April 2024, co-organized by Dr. Saman with her mentor from Johns Hopkins University, for the Chemistry department chairs at HHMI, Chevy Chase.
Prior to joining CREST, Dr. Saman held several roles that contributed positively towards honing her skill sets and professional journey. She served as a Junior Research Officer at the National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, faculty at the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak, and a postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University. She said, “These roles were crucial in shaping my expertise in disaster management, academic research, and DEI. Each position allowed me to build a strong foundation in interdisciplinary research and collaboration, which ultimately prepared me for the opportunities as well as challenges in academia.”
Dr. Saman received her Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in European Studies/Civilization from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India in 2013 and 2019 respectively. Her Ph.D. dissertation is titled, Gender Quotas in Norwegian Public Limited Companies, 2003-2015.
Connect with Dr. Saman at vsaman@ccny.cuny.edu.
