2023-2026 NAHCA Board
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Dr. Asha Shipman
NAHCA Board Chair Dr. Asha Shipman is the Director of Hindu Life and Hindu Chaplain for Yale University. Dr. Shipman earned her advanced degrees from the University of Connecticut. She is an experienced educator, having taught for almost two decades at the high school and university levels. She joined the Yale University Chaplain’s Office in 2013 and in 2016 became the second (and first female) Hindu chaplain with a full-time university appointment in the US. Her Hindu Life Program at Yale offers a space for worship and connection as well as a safe space to consider the contemporary relevance of Hindu philosophies and practices. A pioneer in the field, she is frequently sought out as a speaker, writer, and consultant on Hindu chaplaincy in higher education. Dr. Shipman is a contributor to the first book on Hindu chaplaincy in the US entitled “Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care” (2019) and the author of “Hindu Chaplaincy in US Higher Education” published by the Journal of Interreligious Studies (2020). Dr. Shipman is the founding Chair of NAHCA, an advisor for the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, a campus fellow of Campus Chaplaincy for a Multifaith World, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society.
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Shamā Mehtā
NAHCA Vice Chair Ms. Shamā Mehtā was born in India and now calls southeastern Michigan home. A lifelong practicing Hindu, Shamā is a board-certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains and currently works as a staff chaplain at Beaumont Health. She is also a qualified medical interpreter. Born into a Shaivite sampradaya, her personal perspective and practice of Hinduism is Advaita Vedanta – Non Duality. She holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry (Interfaith Chaplaincy). Shamā also represents Hinduism on local interfaith panels and speaks on a variety of topics as they relate to Hinduism.
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Sanjay Mathur
NAHCA Membership Co-Chair Mr. Sanjay Mathur serves as the Hindu Affiliate of Spirituality & Religious Life at Rochester Institute of Technology. He is the past president and currently on the Board of Trustees at the Hindu Temple of Rochester and also serves on the Board of Directors of Heritage Christian Services which supports individuals with special needs. He is a long-standing and very popular invited speaker for the annual Global Citizenship Conference held by Nazareth College’s Hickey Center of Interfaith Studies and Dialogue and has delivered talks on Hinduism at conferences held by Duke and Georgetown Universities. Sanjay has also been involved in Research Workshops on Spirituality and Health at the Duke Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. Sanjay is among a handful of Hindus in the US with clinical pastoral education experience, that is to say, professional learning and credentialing recognized in the domain of healthcare chaplaincy. Sanjay has very recently been appointed as a Hindu affiliate of Spirituality & Religious Life at his alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology. For his vocation, Sanjay works in the field of IT.
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Bindu Gupta
NAHCA Membership Co-Chair Bindu Gupta is a dedicated educator, artist, and spiritual practitioner with a rich and diverse background. Currently engaged in the Interreligious Chaplaincy program at UC Berkeley, California, she also has a certification in the Hindu Chaplaincy Program from the Hindu Spiritual Care Institute.
With a foundation in education, Bindu has served as a substitute teacher at various schools. Her passion for the arts shines through in her role as an art workshop instructor, offering classes ranging from Henna to Meditative Dot Mandala. Over the years, she has been actively involved in Shrewsbury Public Schools, contributing as a para-professional, after-school program teacher and extending her expertise to offer yoga and meditation classes to students and staff. Bindu's commitment to community service is evident in her extensive volunteering experience. As a Co-Chair on the DEIB Committee in Shrewsbury, she spearheads multicultural events, fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She is also a valuable North American Hindu Chaplaincy Association (NAHCA) Board member, contributing her skills to the organization. Her global outreach includes organizing online art classes during the challenging times of COVID-19, offering over 150 classes to individuals worldwide. Bindu's dedication to education is further highlighted by her past experiences, including volunteering at Shrewsbury Public Library and Shrewsbury Public Schools. Bindu Gupta's educational journey includes a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Arts in Sociology, and a Bachelor of Arts focusing on Psychology. Currently, on a spiritual path, Bindu looks forward to bringing her unique blend of education, artistry, and spirituality to the North American Hindu Chaplaincy Association, contributing to the organization's mission with her diverse skills and experiences. |
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Vineet Chander
NAHCA Resource Development Chair Dr. Vineet Chander has pioneered the work of Hindu chaplaincy in American higher education as the nation’s first full-time Hindu chaplain. Since 2008 he has served at Princeton University where he has built a robust Hindu Life program. Vineet earned his Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School and his Masters in Religion from Rutgers University; he is currently pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education at New York University. He has also served as an adjunct professor, attorney, and communications consultant. His areas of specialty include Bhakti theology, models of pastoral counseling, and the Hindu-American diaspora community. Vineet’s writing has appeared in many publications, and he is co-author of Hindu Chaplaincy (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, 2017) and co-editor of Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019).
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Preeta Banerjee, PhD
NAHCA Treasurer Preeta Banerjee, PhD is the first Hindu chaplain at Tufts University. She has been a spiritual companion who draws on a broad and deep range of experience, having spent over 20 years in academia, coaching and consulting as an advocate, educator, researcher, and author. She is a strong voice for combining spirituality, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social change. Her passion lies in creating brave spaces at the intersection of contemplation, activism and healing and deepening in spiritually fluid ways, from a lens rooted in bhakti, gyan, karma, and raj yog, including her work as a founding board member of the North American Hindu Chaplains Association; Advisory Council member of the Spiritual Directors of Color Network; and in process to becoming a Mass Audubon certified naturalist. She has a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the Wharton School and B.S. in Computational Biology and Business from Carnegie Mellon.
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Priya Amaresh
NAHCA Public Relations Co-Chair Raised in a spiritually rich home with Hindu traditions, religious discourse, and many visiting saints to her home, Priya has had the good fortune to be exposed to the beautiful teachings of Sanathana Dharma at an early age. Graduating from the University of Michigan with a master’s in education, Priya has been teaching K-10th graders in public school settings. After completing her Hatha yoga certification, she expanded her teaching towards a more spiritual curriculum that includes virtues and values extolled in our scriptures to students of all ages. In the practice of yoga, she began to appreciate how to shift our mental energy from a physical realm to a spiritual realm. Since 2014, she has made yoga a daily routine. It has been a platform upon which she stands to change her lifestyle to a more healthy one, and her mindset to a more positive one. Appointed in 2022, Priya is honored to serve as the Hindu chaplain at Duke University. Her experience has been extraordinary, as it offers a constant learning opportunity to delve into the vastness of Hindu religion and culture. Priya is excited to be part of the NAHCA board and continue to help spread the vision of pastoral care and spiritual growth among Hindu practitioners in different institutions of our society. Namaste.
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Rumni Saha
NAHCA Public Relations Co-Chair Rumni Saha serves as the Hindu Chaplain at Wellesley College. Starting in January 2024, Rumni will also serve as the Unitarian Universalist Chaplain at the College. She is excited to serve in this unique capacity in a role that feels whole. Rumni also serves as the Multifaith Chaplain at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Rumni considers herself to be a proud Hindu, a Unitarian Universalist, and a humanist. She is an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sharon, serving as a member of its Social Justice and Caring Committees. Rumni has been a writer, a newspaper columnist, and a long-time contributor to the Huffington Post. She is a frequent guest preacher at various Unitarian Churches throughout MA. Rumni received a Master of Education Degree (MEd) from Boston University following which she worked as a public school educator for 21 years. In 2020, she decided to give up a job that she loved to return to B.U. to attend seminary. In May of 2023, Rumni graduated from the B.U. School of Theology with a Master of Divinity Degree (MDiv) on the Interfaith Chaplaincy track and a Certificate in Religion and Conflict Transformation. While at B.U., she worked as the Director of the Chaplaincy Interest Group under her advisor and renowned theologian and trauma expert, Dr. Shelly Rambo, advising students on various chaplaincy-related topics and conducting/moderating panels on topics from self-care to Clinical Pastoral Education. Rumni was awarded the prestigious Deans' Chaplaincy Leadership Award and inducted into the Boston University Student Leadership Society “in grateful recognition of the many contributions to community life, dedication and outstanding service which have brought honor to the School of Theology.” She also successfully completed 1 unit of CPE at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 2021. Rumni considers India, her home country, as having given her roots and her adopted country, her wings. She is excited to see what comes next. |
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Sowmya Kesari
NAHCA Secretary Sowmya Kesari is a Lay Chaplain at Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, MA, and a chaplain at Indian Circle of Care Inc. USA. Sowmya is pursuing her Hindu Spiritual Care Course to become a Hindu chaplain. She has been a member of Chinmaya Mission, Boston, for the last 25 years. She enjoys teaching kids at the Mission. In her spare time, Sowmya loves to volunteer at various organizations.
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bobbie arrington
NAHCA Intern via Harvard Divinity School bobbie ellen arrington is the daughter of Barbara, the daughter of Orgiareen, the daughter of Amy, the daughter of Sarah. She is the daughter of Spirit handed down from the sky and through bone and earth. She has had a song and conjuring prayer with tongues bequeathed to her by the ancestors. From her father, she received the gifts of public speaking and counseling, which she has used as an educator and social worker. From her mother, she has received the gift of hospitality and compassion for youth, which she has used in her work with non-profits. From Spirit, she has received the gift of animacy, which has become the story she has chosen as her calling to tell. She is currently exploring this gift at Harvard Divinity School, where she is working towards a Master in Divinity. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master in Social Work. She is honored to add the North American Hindu Chaplains Association to her professional and spiritual lineage and will be helping NAHCA with the annual conference in the Fall and co-facilitating a book discussion in the Spring.
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