Rhode Island, Providence, USA: Brown University has welcomed three Indian-origin academics — Kim Fernandes, Saloni Gupta, and Divya Murthy — as part of its incoming faculty for the 2025–26 academic year. They join a cohort of 38 new professors and researchers who are set to contribute across various departments and schools, the university announced.
Provost Francis J. Doyle III emphasized the significance of the appointments, noting that faculty are at the heart of the university’s mission. “Our faculty are essential to Brown’s teaching and research goals. These new members will play a crucial role in strengthening Brown’s position as a leading research institution and in preparing future generations,” he said, adding that he is pleased they have chosen to join the community.
Kim Fernandes has been named Assistant Professor of Anthropology. Their scholarship focuses on the relationship between disability, data, and technology, particularly in urban India. Their debut book project examines how government census and identification systems shape the everyday realities of people with disabilities. Fernandes is also collaborating on research in North America that explores neurotechnology and disability, centering on the perspectives of disabled communities.
Saloni Gupta has been appointed the Jonathan M. Nelson Assistant Professor of Education and Entrepreneurship. Her research explores how education, innovation, and economic development intersect. She studies how education systems cultivate advanced skills for an evolving job market and how technological advancements can help scale educational models. Her work has received support from organizations such as the Weiss Fund for Development Economics, the National Academy of Education, and Stanford University’s King Center on Global Development.
Gupta earned her Ph.D. in Economics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2024, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. Prior to her doctoral journey, she worked in multiple roles — from teaching at a juvenile home and launching teacher training programs to working as a software engineer and advising Indian state governments on policy initiatives.
Divya Murthy has joined as Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Research). She completed her undergraduate studies at Delhi University and obtained a Ph.D. in biotechnology from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. Murthy’s research concentrates on pancreatic cancer, particularly tumor microenvironments and metabolic reprogramming. Her goal, she explained, is to expand scientific understanding of how tumor environments drive metabolic changes and to discover new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for this aggressive disease.
Brown University highlighted that the new faculty hires represent diverse disciplines ranging from neuroscience and biostatistics to Hispanic studies, thereby enriching both the teaching and research capacity of the institution.
