Division on South Asian Americans

Chair: Sonia Bajwa, LCSW

Sonia Kaur Bajwa is a licensed clinical social worker and recently graduated with a doctorate in counseling psychology (PsyD). From their social work internship at VA Pittsburgh’s Community Living Center, employment in the behavioral health division, and subsequent work settings, Sonia has valued working with veterans and their family members, along with adults with a broad scope of presenting issues. From 2013 to 2021 Sonia worked as a psychotherapist at a private psychiatric practice. She entered doctoral studies in 2017 and has found the additional studies and training helpful toward deepening her work as a culturally responsive and social justice-oriented therapist while gaining experience in community and university settings. Additionally, Sonia served as a training coordinator at University of Pittsburgh’s University Counseling Center following their doctoral internship at this location.

Currently, Sonia is establised in private practice where they look forward to continuing to engage with adults of all ages, with a wide range of backgrounds, and identities.

Co-Chair: Ankita Nikalje

Ankita Nikalje is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Counseling program at UW-Milwaukee. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University (U.S.), her MS in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Brunel University (U.K.), and her BS (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Melbourne and Bond University (Australia). Her educational experiences drive her passion towards building decolonial psychological knowledge, research, and practice.

Dr. Nikalje’s identity as a Dalit woman informs her research focused on the impact of systemic, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized oppression on lived experiences and mental health. She is particularly passionate about issues of within-group discrimination and uplifting the experiences of those who are minoritized within their communities and social/identity groups. Currently, her research seeks to address the issue of caste/ism and how caste discrimination continues to manifest outside of South Asia.

Chair-Elect: Geetanjali Deole, MS, LPC (she/her)

Geetanjali is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and works as a multilingual therapist at the counseling center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Geetanjali grew up in India and is passionate about reducing mental health stigma and barriers for the South Asian immigrant/international community. Geetanjali primarily works with South Asian American and international undergraduate and graduate students on issues related to family & interpersonal trauma, interpersonal relationships and cultural identity development. She provides therapy in Hindi, English and Marathi and uses a decolonized, trauma informed and multicultural approach to treatment. Geetanjali is actively involved in advocacy and outreach and passionate for increasing mental health accessibility and visibility for underrepresented communities.

Communications Chair: Ria Nagar

Hi, my name is Ria Nagar, and I am currently a doctoral student at Georgia State University, working toward my PhD in Clinical Psychology. I hold a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Psychology from the University of Glasgow. My research focuses on developing digital mental health interventions specifically tailored for South Asian adolescents. My goal is to increase access to mental health resources for underserved populations, especially those who may face cultural or systemic barriers to care.

I am passionate about making mental health information and research accessible to everyone, particularly in ways that resonate with diverse communities. As the Communications Chair for DOSAA, I aim to leverage my skills to help amplify the organization’s messages and foster meaningful connections between alumni, students, and faculty.

I believe in the power of accessible communication to bring people together and make a positive impact, especially in areas that matter most to underrepresented groups.

Finance Officer: Shubh Agrawal, M.Ed., C.A.S.

Shubh Agrawal (she/her) has been a licensed K-12 school counselor since 2018 and is a current doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at William James College. Throughout her training, Shubh has focused on developing skills in multicultural counseling while serving clients across the lifespan. Shubh’s training has occurred in outpatient, community mental health, rape crisis, and inpatient settings, where she has appreciated opportunities to work collaboratively on interdisciplinary teams. Shubh brings with her to different settings a curiosity for the ways in which her clients’ intersectional identities and sociocultural contexts inform their experiences. She is excited to continue to grow and develop her practice as a clinician, researcher, and advocate.

Secretary/Historian: Ritika Rastogi

Ritika Rastogi, PhD is a developmental-cultural psychologist, educator, and community activist/organizer. They earned their doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2022 and are currently serving as a postdoctoral research fellow on The BOBA Project, the current largest research on Asian youth identity, development, and mental health in the US. Dr. Rastogi’s research aims to identify mechanisms and factors to promote the positive development, resilience, and resistance of marginalized youth against structural oppression. She is passionate about community-engaged and youth-centered approaches to research, working to equip and empower children and youth with the skillset and agency to transform the material conditions of their lives. Across her work, Dr. Rastogi strives to leverage her caste, class, and settler privilege in order to fight for the liberation of oppressed peoples across the US and transnationally. They previously served as the Co-President of the Underrepresented Graduate Students in Psychology at UCLA, and are excited to use the skills and expertise gained from this position to advocate for South Asian Americans as the Secretary/Historian of DoSAA.

Student Representative: Abisha Ebenezer

Abisha Ebenezer (she/her) is a 1st year PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program at Seton Hall University. She moved to the United States in 2017 for college, and was raised in Bermuda and India. She received her B.Sc in Psychological and Social Sciences from Pennsylvania State University in 2021, and her M.Ed in Counseling Psychology from Temple University. She worked as an outpatient therapist in a community mental health setting before starting her PhD. Her research interests broadly include exploring the experiences of BIPOC college students, acculturation and international student adjustment, and navigating harmful supervision experiences. Outside of academia, she enjoys traveling abroad, exploring New York City, and spending time with her cat Artemis.

Membership Chair: Tejasvini Mantripragada

Tejasvini Mantripragada (she/her/hers) is a Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student at Seton Hall University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from the University of Florida. She views herself as a qualitative researcher and her research interests lie at the intersection of gender and South Asian American identity. Tejasvini is also passionate about liberation psychology and integrating decolonial theory into her clinical work, as she believes systemic influences like capitalism and colonialism contribute to individuals’ psychological distress. In her free time, she enjoys going to karaoke with her friends, reading, and catching up on her favorite TV shows.