Tara is an education specialist with over ten years of experience managing education research and implementation teams from diverse education settings globally. Currently, Tara is leading a social emotional learning (SEL) initiative with over 200 schools in Northeast Nigeria to promote psychosocial well-being in teachers and students. Since joining Columbia University’s Earth Institute in 2012, Tara has managed action research studies in India, Kenya and Uganda to identify best practices to integrating technology tools in rural, resource-poor classrooms. Tara managed the Connect to Learn initiative’s girls’ scholarship program that has helped enroll over 1,300 girls across ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Myanmar. She has also helped develop new vocational and life skills programs in Ghana and Rwanda aimed at supporting marginalized young women in building eco-friendly livelihoods beyond secondary school.

Prior to joining the Earth Institute, Tara worked as a community organizer working with youth organizations on college campuses in California to push for policy change in areas including environment and climate change, affordable higher education, and K-12 arts education.