Mahananda (Nanda) Dasgupta

There's no doubt Nanda was destined to pursue a career in science. At a time in India, where high-achieving students would study science just because that's what 'clever' students did, Nanda and her parents saw that there was more to science than just status. More importantly, science suited Nanda's strengths and innate interests.
 
As you can tell from the video, Nanda has many stereotypes to overcome when strangers ask her about her job. These misconceptions are associated with the disciplines she deals with, namely nuclear physics, but also the fact that she is a woman in a male-dominated field.
 
In the podcast, Nanda talks about how her father and other male mentors and colleagues have truly made a difference in her career to be successful. Nanda was the first woman to be tenured in the Research School of Physics and Engineering at the Australian National University. 
 
Nanda has a very optimistic approach to writing an application for a grant, which she shares in the podcast. As part of her Laureate, Nanda has undertaken a number of activities in support of increasing the profile of women in science. The outreach activities have spanned high school students through to supporting workshops involving teachers, early career researchers and senior women. In 2017,  Nanda together with Laureate Professor Nalini Joshi,  initiated and developed the Mentoring and Guidance in Careers Workshop for early career women and gender diverse researchers in science. This workshop, held annually, explores the many facets of forging a career in academic, government or industry settings, and discusses the building blocks for success and resilience.