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 workforce development and international collaborations while also securing funds through grant writing to grow impactful projects.
Dr. Saman’s work emphasizes integrating social sciences into engineering applications to address real-world challenges. She is deeply committed to fostering international collaboration, drawing on her interdisciplinary expertise and global perspective. She is actively involved in research on climate and environmental disaster management strategies and contributes to designing and analyzing data collection methods. Additionally, Dr. Saman assists in organizing events such as workshops and focus groups, as well as mentoring students in combining social science methodologies with technical problem-solving approaches.
Before joining CREST, Dr. Saman served as a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak, where she designed and taught courses that blended social science perspectives with business and management principles. This role provided her with the opportunity to mentor students and cultivate innovative teaching strategies to make social science concepts accessible and practical for application in various fields.
Dr. Saman’s academic background in international relations further complements her interdisciplinary approach. She received her Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in European Studies/Civilization from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, in 2013 and 2019, respectively. Her Ph.D. dissertation, titled Gender Quotas in Norwegian Public Limited Companies, 2003–2015, reflects her commitment to exploring global issues and their localized impacts. In addition to her teaching and research roles, Dr. Saman served as a Junior Research Officer at the National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and as a postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University. She noted, “These roles allowed me to contribute to interdisciplinary research and collaboration, while also preparing me for the challenges and opportunities in academia. My work has always been driven by the desire to bridge gaps between disciplines and create innovative solutions.”
Connect with Dr. Saman at vsaman@ccny.cuny.edu.
