Carlos Welcomes New Board

The Carlos Museum Is Proud to Welcome New National Leadership Board Members

Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books for children and young adults. She is the recipient of the 2020 Southern Book Prize, has been nominated for multiple Nebula and Locus Awards. Her novel Aru Shah and The End of Time was named by Time magazine as one of the "100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time." Chokshi received her BA from Emory University with a focus in Medieval English and lives in Atlanta with her husband, a fellow Emory graduate. The Carlos Museum has been an important place for Roshani, as a student and as an alumna. The Museum of Indian Art in the Aru Shah books is based on the Carlos Museum. Her favorite piece is the sandstone carving of Durga serenely slaying the buffalo-demon Mahisha. "It's almost cinematic in its movement, and it never fails to make me pause before it."Z

Ira Rampil

Ira Rampil is a retired academic physician with a long-standing interest in archaeology and related fields. Rampil has undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering. He attended medical school at the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University followed by postdoctoral training at University of California, San Francisco where he then joined the faculty as an anesthesiologist specializing in the care of complex neurosurgical patients. In retirement, he started a software company and has published a number of Egypt-related educational smartphone apps. Ira loves museums, especially the Carlos. His favorite thing about the Carlos Museum is the "sleeping mummy." "Old Kingdom mummies are very rare, and this is the first I have seen who was prepared and wrapped in lateral decubitus," he says. Z

Mwasaa Sherard

Mwasaa Sherard is an artist and an educator. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she credits her aunt, father, and grandmother for supporting her creative abilities and interests. She has lived in Dekalb County, Georgia, since 1995 and has taught art education for Dekalb County schools since 2005. Mwasaa was recognized as Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2021 by the Georgia Art Education Association and in 2008 as Teacher of the Year by the DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment. She is a strong advocate for the Carlos Museum and has brought multiple schools and classes for tours. She currently serves on the museum's Teacher Advisory Council. Her favorite collection at the Carlos is the Egyptian. "I am especially fond of planning visits around this collection because for my students, it is a fantastical entry into a world apart that opens their minds to examine other contexts and sparks wonder and curiosity."Z