Sharada
Nayak
Doctor of Humane Letters
“Memorable teachers help us understand who we are in
the midst of a complex, interconnected world.” That statement,
from an interview in the Fall 2002 issue of Education About
Asia, succinctly describes Sharada Nayak. For over 35 years,
she welcomed American educators, including those affiliated
with St. Lawrence’s study program there, to India as director
of the Educational Resource Center and later as executive director
of the United States Educational Foundation (the Fulbright Program)
in India. Today she runs the Educational Resource Center, her
own foundation, in Delhi, from which she leads discussions and
encourages programs about diversity at Indian universities.
According to the aforementioned interview, students and scholars
arriving in India “knew they were in caring and competent
hands when Sharada greeted them at New Delhi’s Indira
Gandhi Airport.” Generations of St. Lawrence students
and faculty have been among those she has welcomed to her country,
and the University, in turn, has welcomed her to its own campus. “She
has probably done more good for advancing the scholarly interchange
between India and the U.S. than almost anyone else,” says
St. Lawrence’s Dana Professor of Religious Studies and
president-elect of Naropa University Thomas Coburn.
For her care and concern for all peoples, for her commitment
to intercultural education, and especially for the many kindnesses
she has shown to Laurentians over the years, St. Lawrence is
honored to present Sharada Nayak with the honorary degree Doctor
of Humane Letters.
