March/April 2016

Kartik Chandran Renu Khator Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee Aman Advani MARCH/APRIL 2016 Rs. 20

Swetha Prabakaran Eesha Khare Priv Bradoo Kal Penn Ravi Patel Kavery Kaul Vijay Iyer Ambassador

Richard R. Verma

The Ties

That Bind

SALIL KADER

Building

A

An exclusive interview with SPAN

s U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at your swearing-in, your appointment as the first Indian American ambassador to India represents a “homecoming of enormous consequences.”

What special perspective does your Indian origin bring to your work?

I really appreciate Secretary Kerry noting that it is a homecoming. My parents emigrated in the early 1960’s and I am very proud of my Northern India roots. When I think about their immigrant experience, which was similar to millions of others who

Ambassador Richard R. Verma is the first Indian American ambassador to India and has had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. government and the private sector. This includes serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Administration, where he led the U.S. State Department’s efforts on Capitol Hill; working in the U.S. Senate as the Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; and working in the House of Representatives for Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee Jack Murtha. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate, Ambassador Verma was also a member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board from 2011 to 2014.

Ambassador Richard Verma speaks at the inauguration of a new class of the Access English Microscholarship Program at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences in Bhubaneswar in January 2016.

March/April 2016

Bridges

V O LU M E LV I I N U M B E R 2

http://span.state.gov

CONTENTS 36

16

Building Bridges



Salvaging Sewage

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26 28 30

A Leader in Every Sphere of Life The Biographer of Cancer and Genes

34



Born From Spacesuits



Coding for Empowerment

36 41



Education

Courtesy University of Houston

19 24



12 Editor in Chief Traci L. Mell



Small Wonder



E-Waste to No Waste





From Call Center to Center Stage Stories That Cross Boundaries



The Art of Response



Fort Worth It!

41 JASON LUNTE/Courtesy Flickr

2 10 12

Travel

2

Music

LENA ADASHEVA

State Department photo

U.S.-India Relations

come to the United States as immigrants, they really started from scratch. Education was a big part of their life, but never did they or me, frankly, dream that I would come back to India in this capacity.

It’s particularly inspiring when I think about their stories, how hard they worked and the opportunities that they were given. That’s why I am especially committed to ensuring that the programs we do reach people directly, to make sure they have the same opportunities to fulfil their dreams as well. I know President Barack Obama said the same

Reviewing Editor Branden L. Young

Editor Deepanjali Kakati Associate Editor Suparna Mukherji Hindi Editor Giriraj Agarwal Urdu Editor Syed Sulaiman Akhtar Copy Editors Bhawya Joshi, Shah Md. Tahsin Usmani Editorial Assistant Yugesh Mathur

Art Director Hemant Bhatnagar Deputy Art Directors Qasim Raza, Shah Faisal Khan Production/Circulation Manager Alok Kaushik Printing Assistant Manish Gandhi

Front cover: Ambassador Richard R. Verma with the EducationUSA car, which was part of a roadshow in New Delhi during International Education Week, in November 2015. Photograph by Rakesh Malhotra Research Services : Bureau of International Information Programs, The American Library

Printed and published by Craig L. Dicker on behalf of the Government of the United States of America and printed at Thomson Press India Ltd., 18/35 Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad, Haryana 121007 and published at the Public Affairs Section, American Embassy, American Center, 24 K.G. Marg, New Delhi 110001.

Opinions expressed in this 44-page magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government.  Articles with a star may be reprinted with permission. Those without a star are copyrighted and may not be reprinted.

Contact SPAN at 011-23472135 or editorspan@state.gov

Above: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets Ambassador Richard Verma’s family before the ambassador’s swearing-in ceremony at the State Department in Washington, D.C., in December 2014.

Above right: Ambassador Verma meets family members during a trip to Apra, Punjab, in October 2015.

Right: Ambassador Verma meets President Barack Obama at the White House in December 2014.

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RA J A BHATTACHARYA Courtesy U.S. Consulate General Chennai

and ramped up our outreach—all with the goal of connecting with people, explaining what this relationship is about, tapping into the enthusiasm of U.S.-India relations, and also learning about the issues from people who may not have been part of the dialogue in the past. So that’s been an exciting part of the last year as well.

You have traveled extensively across India. Which has been your most memorable visit?

That’s such a difficult question because we’ve had so many great trips: From Assam, where I saw what we were doing on wildlife protection for elephants, rhinos and tigers, down to Kochi where we flew out to an aircraft carrier with Indian naval officers, to Kolkata, where we sat down with Official White House photo by PETE SOUZA

Are U.S.-India ties heading in the direction you envisioned when you arrived in New Delhi?

Yes. When I arrived a year ago, preparations were well underway for the visits of the President and the Secretary of State in two weeks. The Secretary was coming for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, and the President was coming to be the chief guest of Republic Day. It was a chaotic and exciting time. It built on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington, D.C. four months prior, so we were the beneficiaries of two big summits within a four-month period. My

goal was to make sure that we delivered on all the commitments that were in the long joint statements; to really live up to the promises and expectations.

We have done a pretty good job. We, along with our Indian counterparts, have pushed aggressively, to increase trade and economic investment, promote job creation, deepen our security partnership, and make sure we live up to the big promise of energy and civil nuke cooperation, as well as in education, culture, science, and so much more.

Overall, we had the opportunity to make a lot of progress this year.

We also did something a little different, which is, once the dust settled, we started our own robust travel, and engaged with the public in parts of the country where we hadn’t been in a long time. We have given dozens of speeches

RAJA BHATTACHARYA

State Department photo

thing when he was here in India. So this homecoming really does bring it together many decades later.

I am also proud to be serving as the American Ambassador at a time when U.S.-India relations are at a high point.

The credit for that goes to all the people who have worked so hard on this over the years—all the former ambassadors, U.S. foreign service officers, and various elements of our government working with the agencies and individuals of the Indian government.

BHARATH KUMAR

Students from India in U.S. higher education increased to 132,888 in the 2014-15 academic year. Why do you

T.G. VENKATESH

American women who had started an NGO to help Indian women who wanted to break free from the sex trafficking industry through learning skills like knitting and making handicrafts. I could go on and on about the different and amazing places I’ve traveled in India.

Perhaps the most memorable trip, again tapping into the homecoming theme, was going back to my grandmother and mother’s house in Jalandhar and to the village where my father grew up, giving the commencement address at DAV College in Punjab where he graduated from, and seeing where they lived and where they taught. Meeting the people who came out to tell me that they knew my grandmother, my dad or my mother, and what impact they had on them—that was really special and not something I will ever forget.

RAJA BHATTACHARYA

WWP RAFIQ MAQBOOL © AP-W

Left: Ambassador Richard Verma with a migrant worker during his visit to Mysore in April 2015. SELCO India and USAID India have partnered to provide migrant communities with solar panels to improve their livelihoods.

Below left: Ambassador Verma with U.S. and Indian Special Forces at Aero India 2015 in Bengaluru.

Below: Ambassador Verma (right) and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (second from right) interact with women from the fishing community in Mumbai in February 2015.

Above: Ambassador Richard Verma during a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in May 2015.

Left: Ambassador Verma enjoys a cup of Indian filter coffee at Mylai Karpagambal Mess, during his visit to Chennai in July 2015.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 5

Photographs by RAKESH MALHOTRA

think more Indian students should plan on pursuing higher studies in the United States? What benefits does the United States offer Indian students that other countries don’t?

Education and commitment to learning, innovation and hard work are common values between our two countries. So it is somewhat natural for this to be such a big and important area for our two countries. We have seen a dramatic uptick in Indian students going to study in the United States—over 132,000 last year, which was a 30 percent increase over the previous year— and we see no signs of that letting up.

We have great universities in the United States and India has great universities as well. So, my hope is that we continue to attract great students from across India to the United States and that we get more American students coming to India. We just launched a really interesting online course through Passport to India, to generate more enthusiasm among American students for study opportunities in India.

I will also note that the programs are not limited to higher education—but that there are opportunities for community college work, skill building and training as well.

The goal here is to try to make sure people have an opportunity to succeed in this century, which is particularly different in terms of technology, and make sure that we are giving people the 6 MARCH/APRIL 2016

skills to catch up. A lot of this comes through higher education, but those skills can also be developed through vocational training. Community colleges provide another kind of mentoring opportunity.

So, we are looking at the whole gamut and not just one direction—not just Indian students going to the U.S.—but in both directions.

India is home to the world’s largest youth population, with more than 50 percent of its population under 25 years of age, and over two-thirds under the age of 35. In what ways is the United States engaging with India’s youth?

In so many different ways—in the communication tools that we use, the amount of information that we now transmit digitally using social media platforms, knowing that people are getting most of their news and information from their smartphones and not from traditional media. Tactically, we have changed how we reach out.

Also, our programming is far more expansive than, I think, people realize.

Everyone gets the news about the big defense deal, civil nuclear cooperation and the big trade numbers. But, we have so much happening in the other areas.

For example, I’m very excited about the start-up initiative, building upon the Prime Minister’s trip to Silicon Valley to make sure we are supporting a start-up culture and innovation here in India, and

Above left: Ambassador Richard Verma inaugurates Domino’s Pizza’s 1,000th restaurant in India, at a mall in New Delhi, in February 2016.

Above: Ambassador Verma participates in a bhangra dance by students of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College during an open house for U.S. Embassy staff at his residence in April 2015.

through student exchanges.

We are trying to tap into the best and brightest minds in both of our countries to solve tomorrow’s problems. It is also very exciting because India’s youth is coming into leadership positions or growing up at a time when India is a rising power in the world. So, again thinking back to the time when my parents graduated from college or high school in India in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s, that was a very tumultuous time—India was a new country, a new democracy, trying to chart its place in the world. Today India is a global power and its youth lives in a country that not just watches the changes in the world but is driving a lot of that change.

What role do you think cultural diplomacy plays in strengthening U.S.-India ties?

I think it is exceptionally important and we see it through the strong connections we have in literature, in the arts, Bollywood-Hollywood connections, in food. The cultural connections are a big part of what brings people together.

U.S. Embassy photo Courtesy facebook.com/India.usembassy

“

RAJANISH KAKADE © AP-W WWP

Today India is a

global power and its youth lives in a country that not just watches the changes in the world but is driving a lot of that change.

U.S. Embassy photo

”

Top: Ambassador Richard Verma interacts with students of Isabella Thoburn College during a visit to Lucknow in August 2015.

Second from top: Ambassador Verma enjoys a meal with the hosts of the travel and food TV show, “Highway On My Plate,” Rocky Singh (left) and Mayur Sharma (center) in October 2015.

Third from top: Amitabh Bachchan (from left), Ambassador Verma and Ratan Tata interact at the launch of an event in Mumbai, aimed at eradication of tuberculosis in India, in September 2015.

Above: Ambassador Verma meets Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow in August 2015.

MARCH/APRIL 2016

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Ambassador Richard Verma on Twitter

MANISH SWARUP © AP-W WWP

https://twitter.com/USAmbIndia

Ambassador Verma’s video blogs

http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/ vermarich.html

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. to discuss the global fight against climate change, in San Jose, California, in September 2015.

Right: Ambassador Verma visits a kitchen running on fuel from the biogas plant at the headquarters of Sulabh International in New Delhi, in August 2015.

SUDHA GANDHI

Above: Ambassador Richard Verma (center) and U.S. Embassy staff perform a celebratory flash mob to hail the U.S.-India cooperation in the Paris climate agreement, in New Delhi in December 2015.

Above right: Ambassador Verma (left) at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

We call it a form of Indian soft power.

When I think of how popular International Yoga Day was, for example, and how popular yoga has become in the United States, or how prevalent Indian food is in the United States along with music, films and actors—that’s exciting.

You might wonder what role the government has in the cultural area. I think what we can do is try to deepen those connections through programming, as well as simply recognizing people’s achievements and using culture as a real bridge between our two countries.

How do you see India’s role in promoting peace and economic development in the region?

It’s been critical. India has one of the most capable militaries in the world, their maritime power is very strong, and they 8 MARCH/APRIL 2016

have professional armed forces. It’s also like our military—overseen by civilians.

We have a very strong security partnership with India, we have a counter-terrorism partnership, we have military-to-military partnerships. We now do a lot of joint research and development of the latest defense technologies and defense goods.

But India also stands for something— India stands for the rule of law. It’s the world’s largest democracy, it protects minority rights, it celebrates diversity, and it wants to resolve disputes peacefully. These are values that we share. This incredibly large and diverse democracy is grounded upon the rule of law. Having India convey those kinds of values is really important to peace and stability because, ultimately, we want to make sure that the post-World War II

rules-based order, which both India and the United States have not only relied on but have defended, continues to prevail amidst the threats that we both face. Both of our countries have been leaders in that regard.

What are some of the key areas where the United States and India are working together to mitigate climate change?

This was a big area where we came together in 2015, as punctuated at the end of the year with the historic agreement in Paris. Coming out of the climate talks, we both committed to take meaningful actions to reduce carbon emissions as a way to control global warming and temperature increase.

The climate agreement was extremely important. We both agreed to double our

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Clean energy

is probably the single most exciting and clearest pathway for

JOE MCHUGH/California Highway Patrol

cooperation between our two countries in the decade ahead.

research and development dollars in our Mission Innovation program in clean energy. That’s going to bring billions of dollars in new financing, from both public and private sectors, into the clean energy mix to accelerate discoveries and to, hopefully, bring new technologies to help power India’s growth in a carbon neutral way. We have also agreed to support India’s solar alliance, which is a novel effort aimed to bring increased solar energy to millions of people who need it. We have also lined up very strongly behind India’s renewable energy target of 175 gigawatts [by March 2022]—there’s no country that has had a more aggressive target than India.

Clean energy is probably the single most exciting and clearest pathway for cooperation between our two countries in the decade ahead.

What are some of the main policy issues impacting bilateral trade and investment? What steps are the two countries taking to increase the ease of doing business?

When we go back and look at how much two-way trade and investment numbers have increased, it’s been dramatic over the last 10 years. But it could be much more significant given the size of our two economies. We have to continue to work together to break down barriers.

Ease of doing business is an umbrella term for a lot of factors that go into that determination. So what are they? The regulatory burden which we have seen start to get better; tax fairness and tax certainty; legal certainty and contract sanctity—can the government go in and change the terms of a contract which is one we have to continue to work on. I think the establishment of commercial courts will help with the backlog of cases and bring a certain expertise to make sure contractual commercial disputes are resolved quickly and fairly. Land and labor reforms, bankruptcy reforms, infrastructure, power—all of these things we have to continue to work on, some with the central government and some with state governments. I would say, at the state level, we have seen really good progress, with the states now competing with each other to attract outside investors. And we will continue to work with the central government on additional reforms that are needed. But again, to increase opportunities in both countries, not just in one country.

What are some of the main opportunities and challenges for deepening U.S.-India defense trade ties?

Defense is one of the anchor areas for our two countries. Just in terms of defense sales, even six-seven years ago,

”

we had nothing. Now we have probably close to $14 billion in defense sales.

Better than that, we have moved from a buyer-seller relationship to co-production, co-development and joint research. Our two industries and militaries are coming together to produce advanced defense products and technologies for India, for the United States and, where possible, for export to third countries. We have also increased the complexity and tempo of our military exercises. I look at what we are doing in advanced carrier cooperation and jet engine technologies. There’s really so much we can do, and I really think we will continue to broaden and deepen the security partnership in the years ahead.

Would you like to share anything else with our readers?

We had a very, very good year in the U.S.-India relationship. It reflects on the terrific people who work here at the U.S. Embassy and our Consulates, whether they are locally employed staff, U.S. government employees, military officers, or Marines. We really have a wonderful team and we also have wonderful partners who we get to work with each day right here in New Delhi and across India.

As President Obama said, we are aiming to become India’s best partner and, I think, we are on that course.

MARCH/APRIL 2016

9

Salvaging

By STEVE FOX

MacArthur Fellow

A

Kartik Chandran

is working on a cost-effective and ecofriendly method to convert wastewater into clean water and energy.

“

Courtesy John and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Let’s not import more energy into processing wastewater; let’s use the energy in the wastewater itself.

10 MARCH/APRIL 2016

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t a time of growing concern about our planet’s diminishing natural resources, Kartik Chandran is focused on something we’re not likely to run out of—sewage.

An associate professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University in New York City, Chandran is trying to find cost-effective and sustainable methods of converting sewage into energy, clean water and other useful materials. His research won him a MacArthur Fellowship—frequently called a “genius grant”—in 2015. The grant comes with a $625,000 stipend that is given with no conditions. Fellows may use the money as they see fit.

“By 2050, the majority of the world’s population is going to be living in cities,” says Chandran, who grew up in New Delhi.

“In the same time frame, we’re going to see extreme weather events related to climate change. Our cities are going to be very challenged. My native [country] India faces a lot of challenges—millions of people in India don’t have access to clean water or energy. For me, it would be an absolute honor to help them overcome some of these challenges.”

While the technical details of his work are complex, Chandran’s key advantage is his ability to think differently about the potential of sewage. For example, most conventional sewage treatment plants emit or burn off methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas created during the treatment process. One area of Chandran’s work focuses on using microbes to convert that methane into methanol, a

biofuel which can be used to help power sewage plants, creating a virtuous circle.

“Let’s not import more energy into processing wastewater; let’s use the energy in the wastewater itself,” says Chandran.

“That approach can help more people, and it’s a big advantage in terms of how we think and do things.”

Chandran has also been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a technology that could convert the organic compounds present in fecal sludge into biodiesel and methane, two potent sources of energy, and create an urban sanitation facility in Accra, Ghana.

The problems targeted by Chandran are huge, but he believes in the value of smallscale solutions. “We want to have a significant impact, but we don’t have to have big systems to accomplish that,” he says. “My work focuses on getting clean water and energy from wastewater, but doing it more sustainably. That could happen inside a single building. We can have many more small-scale plants. Having decentralized, distributed systems in individual buildings or communities would be a very good goal.”

Chandran isn’t an academic idealist. He recognizes that recovering energy and clean water from sewage has to be part of a multifaceted approach to improving living conditions in the developing world. He also stresses on stronger enforcement of regulations to prevent sewage from polluting rivers and lakes.

Sewage

Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.

Go Online

Kartik Chandran Laboratory www.columbia.edu/~kc2288/

Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University http://eee.columbia.edu/

University of Connecticut http://uconn.edu/

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University www.vt.edu To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 11

CLEAN ENERGY

“Many developing nations will have to be more rigorous in enforcing regulations that are already in place,” he says. “In many cities, including New Delhi, enforcement has to be more widespread. That’s one of the challenges.”

Chandran began thinking about wastewater conversion while studying chemical engineering as an undergraduate at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. He later moved to the United States to do his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Chandran worked as a senior technical specialist with the private engineering firm Metcalf and Eddy in New York, where he helped redesign the wastewater treatment plants in New York City, and as a research associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University before joining Columbia University in 2005.

Chandran has high regard for American educational institutions and how the United States encourages innovation and research.

“Undergraduate engineering education in India is excellent, but the resources in the U.S. for advanced education are very attractive,” he says, noting that his Ph.D. adviser at the University of Connecticut provided inspiration for his efforts.

“There are very complex issues we have to address,” says Chandran. “Recognizing these issues and coming up with the right questions and answers is very important. That’s one thing I hope the MacArthur Fellowship will do— allow us to ask these questions and conduct research to answer them.”

Courtesy University of Houston

Renu Khator is is the the first first Indian Indian American American to to head head aa comprehensive comprehensive research research university university in in the the United United States.

States.

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A Leader in Every Sphere of Life

R

By STEVE FOX

enu Khator’s life journey has been an inspiring one. Born in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1955, she had an arranged marriage in 1974 and moved to the United States with her husband a year later, with hardly any knowledge of the English language.

In 2008, Khator became the chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston, the first Indian American to head a comprehensive research university in the United States.

“From the very first day, Americans have opened their homes and hearts to me,” says

SMILEY N. POOL Š AP-W WWP/Houston Chronicle

EDUCATION

Renu Khator high-fives students before a college football game.

MARCH/APRIL 2016

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KAREN WARREN © AP-WWP/Houston Chronicle

Above: Renu Khator (center) participates in the groundbreaking ceremony for the university’s football stadium.

Right and above right: Views of the University of Houston campus.

14 MARCH/APRIL 2016

Khator. “They have helped me and mentored me. How else can one explain how a smallcity teenage girl like me could arrive in the U.S. with barely any knowledge of English and succeed? I find the United States to be an incredibly open and embracing society, where diversity is accepted and merit is respected.”

Khator is also quick to credit her husband, Suresh Khator, associate dean at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, who, she says, has been the

“dreamer and architect” of her career.

The Khators received their doctorates from Purdue University; she in political science and public administration, and her husband in industrial engineering. Before joining the University of Houston, Khator spent 22 years at the University of South Florida, where she started in a temporary position and later became a senior vice president.

“American universities are ranked among the best and an American university degree is still the most valued learning experience,” she says. “Learning is more about gaining practical experience than about memorizing theories. American universities encourage students to think independently and be entrepreneurial. Students have many choices—they can change their discipline many times and even begin their degree at any age. Research and discovery are valued as important elements of learning.”

Although Khator credits her family and the United States as a whole for her success, there’s little doubt that her innate determination has served her well. For example, on reaching the United States, she taught herself English by watching endless hours of television.

“Anytime I’ve faced a barrier, I challenged myself to work harder and overcome it, rather than sit back and feel victimized,” says Khator. “Everyone falls, but winners get up and walk again, and again, and again. My life’s philosophy is that when life gives you lemons and everybody is busy making lemonade, you should make margaritas.”

The University of Houston had always been well respected locally and in Texas, but Khator set bigger goals when she assumed its leadership.

“After requesting advice and suggestions from the community when I first arrived in 2008, I undertook an ambitious initiative to transform the [University of Houston] into a Tier One public research university,” she says. “We estimated it to be a seven-year project, but it took us less than half that time.” Khator says that it is gratifying to see how the city supported the University of Houston to become “a nationally competitive university in every field—from research to

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Go Online

Renu Khator

American universities encourage students to think independently and be entrepreneurial. Students have many choices—they can change their discipline many times and even begin their degree at any age. Research and discovery are valued as important elements of learning.

www.uh.edu/president/about/

University of Houston www.uh.edu/

Renu Khator’s blog https://renukhator.wordpress.com/

”

Photographs courtesy University of Houston

education and innovation to athletics.”

Khator has a demanding professional schedule, but always finds time for her family. “As important as work is, it can never be more than my family,” she says.

“Fortunately, my family has chosen to encourage and support me all along the way. My daughters, Pooja and Parul, who are both ophthalmologists, have been a big part of my life, both personally and professionally. It has always felt like we were all part of a team pushing each other to achieve our maximum potential. To stay balanced, I practice yoga and believe strongly in my faith.”

“Life has a way of taking you to places you do not even know exist,” Khator adds. “So, just find your passion, work hard and enjoy the journey.”

Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.

MARCH/APRIL 2016

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The

Biographer of

Cancer Genes and

By MICHAEL GALLANT

Through teaching, writing and research,

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee sheds new light on two of science’s most burning topics.

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee at the screening of “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies” at Jazz at the Lincoln Center in New York.

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A

DIANE BONDAREFF © AP-W WWP/Invision for Entertainment Industry Foundation

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee

http://goo.gl/1Cr5He

“Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies”

http://goo.gl/kyT2nj

Go Online

things that happens in my own life.”

Dr. Mukherjee spent his childhood in New Delhi before moving to the United States to study biology at Stanford University in California. “If you had asked me at the end of high school, I would have told you that I was most passionate about music,” he says. An accomplished vocalist and multiinstrumentalist, Dr. Mukherjee loves jazz and Indian classical music.

“I was originally very confused as an undergraduate about what I would major in and thought I would take just a few classes in science—this was 1989 at Stanford,” Dr. Mukherjee continues.

“Cloning genes, human genetics and cancer genetics were just becoming such powerful and seductive ideas at the time.

I started studying those topics thinking that they would be nothing more than an interest, but I became completely immersed and addicted.”

Dr. Mukherjee excelled in his scientific endeavors at Stanford, winning a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England, where he earned a doctorate in biochemistry under the mentorship of cellular and molecular biologist Alain Townsend. He later went to Harvard Medical School and specialized in oncology. In 2010, Dr. Mukherjee joined Columbia University as an oncologist and assistant professor of medicine.

It was in the early years of his career as a medical doctor that Dr. Mukherjee began keeping a journal of his cancer research work. “A patient who I was treating told me that she was willing to keep fighting, but she wanted to know what it is that she was fighting,” he recalls. “It became clear to me that a history of cancer hadn’t been written. The history was writing us and we were thrown in the middle of it, unable to step back and see where we had come from

“The Gene: An Intimate History” http://goo.gl/8E5xrF

LITERATURE

A

s a physician, researcher, medical professor and writer, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee navigates a densely packed professional life every day. But if you ask the world-renowned cancer expert, who won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in the general nonfiction category for his book, “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” that’s just how things should be.

“I am a master of small train crashes in my life,” says Dr. Mukherjee with a smile, “and that’s actually what keeps the whole train going. I see the model as very much like India. One of the mystical things about the country is how the whole thing fits together and works. If intentions and forces are appropriately aligned, then even diffuse systems can produce beautiful things. I think that’s one of the

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 17

JASON DECROW © AP-W WWP/Invision for Entertainment Industry Foundation

Producer Ken Burns (from left), Stand Up To Cancer co-founder and journalist Katie Couric, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee and director Barak Goodman at the film screening.

If

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intentions

and forces are appropriately aligned, then even diffuse systems can produce

beautiful

things. I think that’s

one of the things that happens in my own life.

18 MARCH/APRIL 2016

”

and where we were going. So, what started as my journal became a wider history of humanity’s struggle against an archnemesis.”

The resulting book won Dr. Mukherjee the Pulitzer Prize and brought global recognition. In 2015, the book was adapted into a film, “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies,” directed by Barak Goodman and produced by Ken Burns. The six-hour-long film interweaves a historical narrative with stories about patients and an investigation into the latest scientific breakthroughs in finding a cure for the disease.

Dr. Mukherjee’s follow-up book, “The Gene: An Intimate History,” will be published in May. He describes it as a dive into the history and the future of genetics as a 20th-century idea—an idea he calls one of the most dangerous in science. “It gives the impression, and probably correctly at times, of profound control over human cells, identities and bodies,” he says. “Every year, humans become more adept at reading and writing human genes.”

The book traces the history of genetics—from the work of German scientist Gregor Johann Mendel through the Nazi’s dark efforts at eugenics all the way to the cutting-edge research of the 21st century. “The whole story is twisted in with the history of my family in India, starting with the partition in 1947 and moving forward into the future,” says Dr. Mukherjee.

Whether he is editing his latest manuscript, meeting his patients or examining cells for an experiment, Dr. Mukherjee approaches every aspect of his work with a rare combination of virtuosity, guts and joy.

“The animus of what I do comes from the idea that I don’t think of it as work,” he says. “I’m always dying to get back to it as much as I can. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have other things in my life, but if you love what you do, it’s so much easier to achieve great things.”

Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City.

Born

Spacesuits From

A

By JASON CHIANG

Aman Advani

Photographs courtesy Ministry of Supply

shares the story behind the innovative and hightech men’s apparel brand.

Left: Aman Advani, co-founder and head of operations at Ministry of Supply.

Right: Ministry of Supply’s flagship store in Boston.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 19

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Entrepreneur

man Advani was a consultant at Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations Consulting group when his rigorous travel schedule and uncomfortable business attire led him to experiment with his office wear. Upon his arrival at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management in 2010, Advani helped co-found Ministry of Supply, a clothing brand which seeks to reinvent business wear to include the benefits of athletic gear. For instance, the company designs apparel using NASAengineered phase change materials, which regulate body temperature in spacesuits. Advani, who is based in Boston, Massachusetts, now serves as the company’s head of operations.

Excerpts from an interview.

What led you to experiment with your self-made clothing prototypes before forming Ministry of Supply?

As an engineer, you’re taught to tinker, which has always been natural to me.

With dress socks, in particular, the solution was simple. Take what I loved from the performance sector—my

Photographs courtesy Ministry of Supply

favorite Nike™ Dri-FIT socks—and sew them inside the dress socks I had to wear for work.

With my mom’s help on the sewing machine, I had an easy route to testing and proving that a simple mash-up was better than the incumbent.

What drew you to your Ministry of Supply co-founders while at MIT? We were introduced to each other since we stood out from the rest of the start-up crowd.

There aren’t too many fashion entrepreneurs at MIT. But, what we didn’t expect was how

Top: Co-founders of Ministry of Supply, (from left) Kit Hickey, Gihan Amarasiriwardena and Aman Advani.

Above: Ministry of Supply’s dress shirts are made with temperatureand moisture-regulating materials.

Right: The brand’s blazers and trousers are not only officeappropriate but also perform like athletic gear.

20 MARCH/APRIL 2016

much deeper our visions aligned than just the product. We all saw a near identical picture of a brand that stood for so much more than a mixture of technology and style.

What would be one of the biggest takeaways from MIT that helped you found your company?

The most important were our peers and advisers. We leaned heavily on that group for insights, product testing and emotional support. It was, and continues to be, an

amazingly powerful community—supportive, but direct and candid when it needs to be.

Ministry of Supply is an interesting brand identity. How did you decide on this name?

We love our name’s story. It represents the “empathetic inventor;” where Q, from the James Bond films, gets Bond ready for anything while always looking sharp. Much like Q—whose character is actually based on a real person in the early 1900s’ British government, operating under the cover, “Ministry of

Supply”—we’re in the labs making sure that our customer looks sharp and feels ready for anything.

Your 2012 and 2013 Kickstarter campaigns have been among the most successful fashion campaigns in the crowdfunding platform’s history, raising over $430,000 and $200,000, respectively. Why did you decide to use crowdfunding to launch your brand?

Crowdfunding is an incredible way to validate what you’re doing, where your audience is quick

www.ministryofsupply.com

Aman Advani https://twitter.com/amanadvani

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Ministry of Supply

Phase Change Fabrics http://goo.gl/Jw7ewr

MARCH/APRIL 2016

21

to notice real change and innovation, and even quicker to dismiss anything less. It was a nobrainer to use Kickstarter to launch; it was an immediate audience which was willing to judge us objectively in a category that had not changed in decades.

What is in the pipeline, given the recent boom in wearable tech?

This year, we’ll expand our reach through products, channels and even some in-house manufacturing. However, the tech is just a way to answer a consumer’s issues. It’s not, in itself, the star. We’re more excited about how much we’ve improved our ability to deliver on our initial promise to solve a problem we knew our customers were experiencing.

What advice would you like to give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

The engineering approach is so powerful, grounded in hypotheses that are drawn from reality and iterative in its pursuit of problem solving. With that in mind, I’d suggest that you make sure the problem you’re solving is real and that your solution is 10 times better than anything out there today. Fighting for market share with anything less in your toolkit will leave you exhausted. More importantly, be sure you actually care about what you’re doing. That passion is the only thing that will carry you through the inevitable ups and downs of start-up life.

Photographs courtesy Ministry of Supply

Jason Chiang is a freelance writer based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

22 MARCH/APRIL 2016

“ Ministry of Supply uses NASA-engineered phase change material and other innovations like laser-cut holes under the arms.

The tech is just a way to answer it’s not, in a consumer’s issues. It’s itself, the star. We’re more excited about how much we’ve improved our ability to deliver on our initial promise to solve a problem we knew our customers were experiencing.

” MARCH/APRIL 2016

23

Coding for Courtesy Swetha Prabakaran

By PAROMITA PAIN

Swetha Prabakaran

AGSANDREW/iStock/Thinkstock

“ 24 MARCH/APRIL 2016

wants to help young girls learn computer programming and transform their future.

You can build an app and have it be in the hands of potentially thousands of people within hours. When you learn to code, the

possibilities

”

are endless.

S

wetha Prabakaran has a simple mantra in life—everybody code now! She is the teenage founder and chief executive officer of Everybody Code Now!, a nonprofit organization that works to empower the next generation of leaders by teaching them basic computer programming.

“I really wanted other girls to have strong mentors and exposure to tech the way I did,” says Prabakaran. The realization that most schools don’t offer coding lessons to students further strengthened her resolve to create a program to introduce them to this field.

And for her efforts, the White House honored her as one of its Champions of Change in 2015.

Starting young Prabakaran founded Everybody Code Now! in the summer after her freshman year of high school (2013-2014) and hosted the first camp in 2015, during her sophomore year. Currently a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, she takes application development courses and hopes to work in her school’s Mobile and Web Application Development Laboratory during her senior year and major in computer science in college.

Prabakaran gives credit for her achievement to her mother. She encouraged Prabakaran to take computer science and biology in her freshman year to explore different science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas and find her passion.

“I would never have entered computer

Empowerment

“As the name of the organization suggests, everybody can—and should— learn to code. Learning to program is no different from learning to speak a foreign language,” says Prabakaran.

“Anybody can learn and benefit from such knowledge, regardless of their age or educational background, and computer science is no different.”

Everybody Code Now! creates custom camps and programs for schools, with activities that best engage their students. “We work with teachers and local students to implement these activities,” explains Prabakaran.

Everybody Code Now!

http://everybodycodenow.github.io

Champions of Change http://goo.gl/XEn8a5

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology www.tjhsst.edu

Paromita Pain is a journalist based in Austin, Texas.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 25

TECH SKILLS

Coding is for everyone

She says that by 2020, there will be more than 1.4 million tech jobs in the United States, “but girls still hesitate to enter engineering and technology due to stereotypes. Without encouraging more people to enter programming, we will never be able to fill those positions. It’s crucial to include women in conversations about technology.”

To those who want to learn coding, she says: “Many organizations, including my own, run coding workshops and camps where you can learn to code. There are also many online resources where you can start learning, like codecademy.com, khanacademy.org or udacity.com. I love teaching children programming using MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] Scratch or the MIT App Inventor since they use graphical interfaces that are easier to understand.”

As Prabakaran passionately underlines, the benefits of coding are many.

“The beauty of computer science is that it can be used in virtually any career path,” she says. “Everyone uses computers on a daily basis today, so by learning to code you can easily build programs and products to solve problems you or your community face, or just to make your life a little bit easier. You can build an app and have it be in the hands of potentially thousands of people within hours. When you learn to code, the possibilities are endless.”

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science if I hadn’t seen powerful women in this field from an early age, such as my mother and freshman computer science teacher, Ms. Ria Galanos,” says Prabakaran. “Seeing women I looked up to in this space gave me the confidence to pursue my love for the subject.”

Prabakaran remembers the first lines of code she created. “The first program I ever wrote as a high school freshman was so simple,” she recalls. “But at the time, it seemed like the greatest thing ever. We were just starting to learn how to program in Java using a robot named Karel, and all the program did was move Karel a few spaces and have her pick up a ‘beeper,’ a black circle. It was only about four lines of code, but being able to write such a simple command and then see something happen on the screen was really cool and helped me connect with the subject.”

Small Wo

I

Eesha Khare

CARMEN ACEVEDO OLIVIE/Courtesy Flickr

used nanomaterials to develop a supercapacitor that can charge cell phones in a matter of seconds.

26 MARCH/APRIL 2016

magine being able to charge your cell phone within 20 to 30 seconds. Thanks to Eesha Khare, a young scientist from Saratoga, California, this might be possible sooner than you think.

Khare’s invention is called a supercapacitor.

But the title of her revolutionary project, which she submitted at the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for high school students, is a bit more complicated: “Design and Synthesis of Hydrogenated Ti02-Polyaniline Nanorods for Flexible High-Performance Supercapacitors.”

Out of the 1,600 participants, Khare won second prize and the prestigious Young Scientist Award at the competition.

A supercapacitor is an “energy storage device, which can be charged really quickly [and] has the potential to replace conventional batteries in electronics,” explained Khare in her TEDxTeen 2015 talk in New York City.

Currently, supercapacitors can charge lightemitting diode (L.E.D.) devices in seconds. If Khare’s invention is used in cell phones, we

might be able to charge them too in a matter of seconds.

Khare’s supercapacitor is a product of a “revolutionary phase” of battery storage capacity, she said in a 2013 appearance on “Conan,” a late night television talk show hosted by Conan O’Brien. According to Khare, several corporations and individuals are working on increasing conventional battery capacity or are coming up with alternative energy storage devices, like she has.

Based on her work on the supercapacitor, Forbes magazine included her in its 2014 “30 Under 30” list for Energy and Industry.

Although many companies expressed interest in Khare’s work, she decided to pursue an academic line of work and is currently studying biomedical engineering at Harvard University.

“My research was more academic than it was entrepreneurially focused. I really like the way research works, that we learn from each other and build off each

nder

By NATASA MILAS

Eesha Khare’s project https://goo.gl/lBydLV

TedxTeen 2015 NYC http://goo.gl/YUHE4o

Harvard University

www.harvard.edu CHRIS AYERS/Intel

consequently, change the bleak picture of the dearth of women in this field. Second, to solve a problem almost everybody on the planet faces—the short life span of batteries that run our gadgets.

“If you see a problem, you should fix it, instead of complaining about it. It is this mindset that had propelled me to seek out problems that I find interesting and think of creative solutions for them,” says Khare.

While science has been her intellectual passion and her pathway to success, the arts have influenced her as well. She considers dance, specifically Indian classical dance, to be a guiding inspiration in her life. “Dance is so important to who I really am,” Khare said in her TEDxTeen 2015 talk.

With her holistic approach to life and learning, and her dedication toward her work, Khare is sure to have many significant pursuits in the future.

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Natasa Milas is a freelance writer based in New York City.

Left: Eesha Khare speaks at TEDxCibeles 2015 in Madrid, Spain.

Above: Khare and Ionut Budisteanu, runner-up and winner, respectively, of the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

TECHNOLOGY

other’s work. So, through my research, I am contributing to a much larger body of work already done on supercapacitors,” she says.

Khare grew up in a family of scientists in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, but says that she was always encouraged to do different things. “I think that enabled me to think of what I really like to do. My teachers in high school also really influenced me and people always say that one teacher can really make a difference. I think many people get turned away from science because of this idea that there is only one right answer. But when experimenting, you begin to learn that there are so many ways to approach the same problem. And that uncertainty and exploration makes it even more engaging,” says Khare.

In her TEDxTeen 2015 talk, she revealed her goals: First, to succeed as a female scientist, inspire other women’s interest in science and,

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BlueOak http://blueoakresources.com/

World Economic Forum of Young Global Leaders https://goo.gl/dCPt2l

Courtesy Priv Bradoo

Priv Bradoo’s BlueOak was among the start-ups exhibited at the first-ever White House Demo Day in 2015.

28 MARCH/APRIL 2016

E-Waste to NoWaste

T

By HILLARY HOPPOCK

urban mining refinery converts e-waste into a sustainable source of critical metals and rare earths.

From linear to circular economy BlueOak’s first urban mining refinery in Arkansas, which received $40 million in funding from U.S. and international investors, sources metals sustainably from end-of-life smartphones and TVs. It capitalizes on the fact the amount of gold and silver found in one ton of discarded cell phones is 70 times the amount found in virgin ores.

“Sustainable businesses must go beyond environmental concerns; they need to be financially viable to survive,” says Bradoo.

She predicts a shift from the “linear” approach of mining and extracting raw materials to create products that are eventually released back into the earth. In the “circular” economy of the next era, she believes that e-waste will be efficiently converted into a sustainable source of critical and rare metals by “utilizing concentrated resources above ground” rather than earthbound sources.

Global opportunity for urban mining Bradoo, who was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012, began her quest for sustainable sourcing of critical metals in the United States, but sees this as “a global opportunity for the technology of tomorrow.” The United States offers “a well-developed infrastructure for commercialization, high standards for safety, laws favoring recycling and good collection systems,” says Bradoo. She aims to make BlueOak the world leader in urban mining.

According to Bradoo, who is an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a Fulbright scholar, efficient asset utilization is paramount for the future. She cites Carsharing Association and Airbnb as examples of shared assets and improved resource utility in the circular economy.

Bradoo’s career is filled with cleantech start-ups she helped develop in the United States and New Zealand. One such start-up is LanzaTech, where carbon-rich waste and residues produced by industries as well as gases generated by forestry and agricultural residues are converted into fuel and chemical products. Born in India and raised in Oman, Bradoo traces her environmental stance to living in New Zealand, where the focus is on sustainable resources. She was the founding chief executive officer of Spark, a not-forprofit initiative focused on promoting entrepreneurship in New Zealand.

Bradoo defines herself as a product of life experiences. She believes empowered people can do tremendous things and “just plain human empathy is about being better in caring for the Earth and its people.”

Hillary Hoppock is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Orinda, California.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 29

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Priv Bradoo’s

he United States throws away enough cell phones to blanket 50 football fields and enough TVs to fill more than 600 trucks, every day. But Priv Bradoo, founder and chief executive officer of the Californiabased electronics recycling firm BlueOak, sees value in the mounds of this fastgrowing waste stream. E-waste contains copper and neodymium, which are used in hybrid car batteries and wind turbines, as well as other rare earth metals. According to Bradoo, these are becoming harder to extract from the earth and are diminishing in supply.

“We are seeing the loss of millions of tons of valuable resources being thrown out with cellphones and TVs,” she says. Harvesting these metals presents a huge business opportunity.

30 MARCH/APRIL 2016

JORDAN STRAUSS © AP-WWP/Invision

U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan/Courtesy Flickr DJAHAN/iStock/Thinkstock

Above: Kal Penn (right) is best known for his roles in the television drama, “House” and the film series, “Harold & Kumar.”

Above right: Mindy Kaling was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.

Right: Aziz Ansari writes and stars in the Netflix series, “Master of None,” which the New York Times called “the year’s best comedy straight out of the gate” in 2015.

Far right: Ravi Patel stars in the hit sitcom, “Grandfathered.”

WWP/Invision RICHARD SHOTWELL © AP-W

A

From Call Center to

convenience store clerk, a call center employee or a cab driver—American actors of Indian origin have spent decades portraying these stereotypical characters. But in recent years, there’s been a transformation in the types of roles offered to them.

“There have always been plenty of extremely talented South Asian American actors. The issue has been a very low glass ceiling and unwillingness on the part of the folks in Hollywood to cast in a colorblind manner,” says actor and producer Kal Penn.

CenterStage

By CANDICE YACONO

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 31

ENTERTAINMENT

PAUL A. HEBERT © AP-WWP/Invision

With more prominent roles and screen time, actors of Indian origin are finally taking center stage in American TV shows and films.

Go Online Kal Penn

http://goo.gl/J0Hrh

Ravi Patel

https://goo.gl/mIK4CS

Aziz Ansari

MARK J. TERRILL © AP-W WWP

http://azizansari.com

Mindy Kaling

ANNA HANKS/Courtesy Flickr

http://goo.gl/4bCXf

Penn, born Kalpen Suresh Modi, is best known for his role in the American television medical drama “House” and for playing Kumar Patel in the “Harold & Kumar” film series.

“I think the recent rise in brown folks on TV is probably a combination of smarter producers and directors being open to casting in a more colorblind manner, as well as a relative comingof-age of artists within the South Asian American community who are taking the initiative, and writing and producing their own projects. It’s an exciting time in that regard, for both artists and

32 MARCH/APRIL 2016

RICHARD SHOTWELL © AP-WWP CHRIS PIZZELLO © AP-WWP/Invision

audiences,” he says.

Penn adds that this change is certainly groundbreaking, but it’s a bit too early to tell whether that’s reflective of an actual change in the way projects are developed and cast. “The hope, of course, is that this trend continues. The immense talent and success of hilarious and hardworking folks like Mindy [Kaling] and Aziz [Ansari] are so great to see. Audiences love them, their stories are unique, heartfelt and funny, and ultimately, those are the universal things that people love to see.”

Ravi Patel has also witnessed the evolution over the years, as an in-demand actor, director and writer. But he, too, finds it hard to pin down the reason behind this shift.

“I honestly cannot explain it,” says Patel.

“It’s kind of crazy how many Indian men are in every show. I think we are in this place where we need one non-white guy in every scene. And for some reason, right now, people like that guy to be an Indian. It’s been incredible for my career, but I’d love to see the same amount of opportunities for Indian women.”

Born in Illinois and raised in North Carolina, Patel has appeared in a number of television shows and films over the past decade. These include the role of an Indian call center operator, complete with a faux accent. He has seen his opportunities evolve from more typecast background characters to increasingly well-rounded and prominent roles.

“The more we see South Asians in nonstereotypical roles, the more we start to accept it

Far left: Kal Penn at the premiere of his 2008 film, “Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay,” in Los Angeles, California.

Left: Ravi Patel (second from left) participates in the “Grandfathered” panel at the 2015 Fox Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Beverly Hills, California.

Below left: Zoe Saldana (from left), Aziz Ansari and Olivia Wilde onstage before the announcement of the nominations for the 2013 Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Below far left: Mindy Kaling at a meet and greet event organized as part of the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences and Festivals.

as normal,” says Patel.

After co-directing the award-winning documentary on arranged marriage, “Meet the Patels” (2014), with his sister, Patel got a major recurring role in the hit sitcom “Grandfathered.”

He also appeared on Ansari’s new Netflix sitcom, “Master of None.”

Patel says that as actors of Indian origin are working their way up, the American entertainment industry is learning to embrace them.

This is evident from the success of shows like “Master of None” and Kaling’s “The Mindy Project.”

“As people like Aziz and myself are creating our own content, we are writing roles that represent our own experiences and characters we want to play. I’m so excited for what’s happening right now, not only from the perspective of race, but as an artist as well,” he says.

Both Patel and Penn hope that the future is bright for Indian-origin actors. “I hope producers, casting directors, studios, networks and so on begin to cast roles in colorblind ways,” says Penn. “That increases opportunity for everyone, and offers more dynamic, creative products for audiences to enjoy.”

Patel has a piece of advice for aspiring Indian-origin actors.

“You cannot wait for anything in this industry to happen for you; it’s just way too hard,” he says. “Create the change you want to see.”

Candice Yacono is a magazine and newspaper writer based in southern California.

MARCH/APRIL 2016

33

Kavery Kaul’s documentaries explore the shifting frames of culture, race, class and belonging.

Go Online Kavery Kaul

www.kaverykaul.com

Fulbright Fellowship

http://eca.state.gov/fulbright

Filmmaking through Fulbright

http://goo.gl/0mJhm4

Stories That Cross Boundaries

W

By KIMBERLY GYATSO

ith subjects like brain injuries, Calypso music, religion and Cuban art under her belt, filmmaker Kavery Kaul is a driving force in today’s documentary world.

A graduate of Harvard University, Kaul has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, a New York Foundation for the Arts Artist’s Fellowship, multiple New York State Council on the Arts grants and two National Endowment for the Arts awards.

The Fulbright Fellowship gave her the opportunity to research and film her latest documentary, “Streetcar to Kolkata.”

Kaul teaches at Columbia University in New York City, where her courses include works by people of different races, cultures, religions and genders.

Excerpts from an interview.

34 MARCH/APRIL 2016

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Every family has its own treasure chest of stories. I grew up with stories about India’s fight for independence from the British and the partition that followed. And then, there were stories of life at the sometimes-challenging, sometimes-comic, always-memorable intersection of the India my family came from and the America we came to. For all of us, the stories we’ve heard shape our beliefs, our practices and our perspective of the world.

In my case, as a student at Harvard, I heard that a new and unusual course on the films of the Indian director Satyajit Ray was being offered by an Englishman on the faculty. How could I not be inspired by Ray’s nuanced stories of the human experience in the face of overwhelming social and economic forces?

Cross-cultural themes are at the forefront of your work. Was “Long Way From Home” inspired by your experiences of the U.S. education system as an Indian American?

My documentaries tell stories that cross boundaries to explore the shifting sands of culture, race, class and belonging. Like the girls in “Long Way From Home,” I attended American independent schools and, later, an Ivy League college.

“Long Way From Home” was a return to that world to see what had changed since my time. I wish that in the research and development phase of that project, I could have discovered that there was no film to make.

But progress is slow. And the fabric of our daily lives has changed very little.

The three girls in that film are profiles in courage in a world where they learn there’s a big difference between who they are and who others think they are. But unlike most of the others in their schools, they learn how to move between different worlds. And they know that’s an advantage. They’re ready for tomorrow.

From top: Kavery Kaul with singer Lord Kitchener while shooting “One Hand Don’t Clap” in Trinidad; Kaul with Cindy from her nonfiction feature “Long Way From Home;” Kaul with “First Look” actors and Cuban artists Eduardo “Choco” Roca and Nelson Dominguez; and posters of Kaul’s award-winning documentary, “Back Walking Forward” and the film, “Long Way From Home.”

Your upcoming film, “Streetcar to Kolkata,” addresses the important issue of engagement between people of different cultures and faiths. What was your approach toward building a bridge of understanding in the film?

“Streetcar to Kolkata” builds bridges between faiths at a time when we need those bridges more than ever.

My work is character-driven, about wellmeaning people navigating through uncharted waters. I find these stories compelling because they go to the heart of the critical issues of our times.

“Streetcar to Kolkata” takes one woman on an extraordinary journey from America to India, from her Christian home in New Orleans in search of her grandfather’s Muslim village near Kolkata. In this documentary, I spark a meeting of people who may not be so familiar or even comfortable with one another.

How did being a Fulbright Fellow impact your experience of making “Streetcar to Kolkata?”

I make films that require a great deal of location research and development. Usually, funders acknowledge the importance of process, but they won’t support that phase because their eyes are glued to results. The Fulbright Fellowship was a tremendous gift.

It made an extended stay in Kolkata possible so that I could do the necessary groundwork for my film.

While I was in Kolkata, the American Center invited me to give a talk about my work as a filmmaker with links to both India and America. I shared my films “Long Way From Home” and “Back Walking Forward,” knowing the discussion would be lively because Kolkata audiences are well-informed, curious and enthusiastic. Their approach to any subject is nuanced and complex.

My official affiliation with the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) also gave me the opportunity to speak to future Indian filmmakers about my work as a director as well as their student projects. It’s so important to build those relationships with the next generation.

When we went into production in Kolkata and its environs, two very talented students from SRFTI joined us as camera assistants.

They worked with our veteran American cinematographer. That was another bridge we built.

What advice would you give to young Indians coming to the United States to pursue a career in the arts?

I’d say: You’re about to embark on an amazing journey. Keep an open mind.

Remember that America means Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Junot Díaz and Jhumpa Lahiri. Take it all in. At the same time, hold on to who you are and the creativity that only you can offer as someone whose artistic vision stems from India, even as those roots mingle with your discovery of America.

Young people need to learn that there’s a value to another point of view. We all gain from a richer, broader, more inclusive spectrum of films. This is the way of today’s global society. It’s what lies ahead for those who don’t want to be left behind.

Kimberly Gyatso is a freelance writer based in San Francisco.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2016 35

CINEMA

Photographs courtesy Kavery Kaul

In those days, I also frequented New York City’s art-house theaters. There, I saw Sarah Maldoror’s “Sambizanga,” a film about the Angolan War of Independence against the Portuguese. It was such a strong, moving story of a struggle against colonial powers.

These stories held resonance for me. These directors made me want to be a filmmaker too.

The Art of

Response

By MICHAEL GALLANT

JUAN HITTERS/ECM Records

“

If you imagine yourself to be a part of social and political events, which any artist really should, you’re responsible for a lot. You’re responsible for responding.

36 MARCH/APRIL 2016

Vijay Iyer

transforms societal struggles into transcendent music.

surveillance and fear after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Rolling Stone magazine hailed the album as a “powerful narrative invention and ravishing trance-jazz...an eloquent tribute to the stubborn, regenerative powers of the human spirit.” Iyer created this project in collaboration with poet Mike Ladd, who also partnered with him on the 2013 album, “Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dreams Project,” which transformed the dreams of American military veterans of color who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan into haunting music.

Stephan Crump (from left), Vijay Iyer and Marcus Gilmore, members of the Vijay Iyer Trio jazz band.

MUSIC

T

here’s a lot going on in the world right now,” says Vijay Iyer, Grammy-nominated composer-pianist and a professor at Harvard University’s Department of Music, while talking over a cup of coffee in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. “If you imagine yourself to be a part of social and political events, which any artist really should, you’re responsible for a lot.

You’re responsible for responding.”

And, through his art, Iyer has responded, time and again.

His groundbreaking 2004 album, “In What Language?” addresses issues of

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STATEMENT FORM IV

The following is a statement of ownership and other particulars about SPAN magazine as required under Section 19D(b) of the Press & Registration of Books Act, 1867, and under Rule 8 of the Registration of Newspaper (Central) Rules, 1956.

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Public Affairs Section American Embassy American Center 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001 Bi-monthly C.J. Jassawala Indian Thomson Press India Ltd. 18/35, Delhi Mathura Road Faridabad 121007 Craig L. Dicker American 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001 Deepanjali Kakati Indian 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001.

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Date: January 12, 2016

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http://vijay-iyer.com

Harvard University Department of Music www.music.fas.harvard.edu/index.html

MacArthur Foundation

BART BABINSKI

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Vijay Iyer

LENA ADASHEVA ALAN NAHIGIAN

While his works with Ladd involve spoken word performances interwoven with music, many of Iyer’s recording projects are purely instrumental. These include recordings with the critically acclaimed jazz band, Vijay Iyer Trio, which includes him, drummer Marcus Gilmore and bassist Stephan Crump.

Whether or not lyrics are involved, channeling cultural and social concerns is an integral part of Iyer’s creative process. Case in point, Iyer describes an ongoing raw and unique progression in American culture, one that calls for immediate responses from artists like himself.

“Questions of identity, and what it means to be an American, really seem to be coming to a head,” he says. “There’s a lot of newfound awareness within this country about racism and anti-immigration hysteria, and it’s an emotional process for many people to come to terms with it.

I see the struggle in my students, my collaborators and even listeners.”

Iyer points out that some people want music to take them away from the need to think about heavy topics like racism. “Sometimes, music can indeed help you escape. But music can also shine a light on the differences between us in a more productive way. That becomes a big part of what I do.”

As an Indian American, as well as a frequent collaborator with many other artists of color, Iyer finds that topics of racism and immigration cannot be ignored—both in life and in music.

“They become part of every conversation and every interaction,” he says, “so they also become part of the music very naturally.”

Beginning with his 1995 debut album, “Memorophilia,” Iyer has made a name for himself by combining elements of jazz, Indian and European classical music, electronic music and more. His 2015 album, “Break Stuff,” is no exception.

Left and top: Vijay Iyer says he achieves a special sort of clarity when he sits at the piano.

Above: Tabla player Nitin Mitta (from left), Iyer and guitaristcomposer Prasanna came together for the 2011 album, “Tirtha.”

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Top: Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman (from left), Vijay Iyer and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, members of the jazz band Fieldwork.

Above: Iyer made a name for himself by fusing Indian music with jazz.

SCOTT FRIEDLANDER

”

JIMMY KATZ

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Sometimes, music can indeed help you escape. But music can also shine a light on the differences between us in a more productive way. That becomes a big part of what I do.

“ ‘Break Stuff’ is modern jazz on the bleeding edge,” writes Thom Jurek of AllMusic.com, “a music that not only asks musical questions but answers them, and it does so accessibly and immediately, no matter the form or concept it chooses to express.”

Iyer’s artistic efforts have earned him widespread recognition. DownBeat, a leading jazz magazine, named him Artist of the Year in 2015 and Pianist of the Year in 2014 and the Los Angeles Weekly called him “a boundless and deeply important young star.”

In 2013, he received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Soon thereafter, he joined Harvard University as a professor, where he mentors students from a variety of disciplines.

Academic responsibilities, musical collaborations and widespread performances keep Iyer busy but, he says, not more than other musicians. “It’s never easy for an artist to balance everything, especially for people in this area of music. But it’s worth it,” he says.

Whether he has to create a social commentary through his music or simply craft a melody, Iyer says that he achieves a special sort of clarity when he sits at the piano. “So much gets released during [a] performance,” he says. “It’s a meditative practice, almost like yoga. All the other struggles melt away.

The music is its own reward.”

Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City.

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THOMAS HAWK/Courtesy Flickr

By

By CARRIE CARRIE LOEWENTHAL LOEWENTHAL MASSEY MASSEY

Above: “Conjoined,” a stainless steel sculpture by Roxy Paine, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Top left: The Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district in the city.

Center left: Billy Bob’s Texas is considered the world’s largest honky-tonk.

Left: The entrance to the Japanese Garden.

TRAVEL

MIKE FISHER/Courtesy Flickr

Photographs courtesy Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau

From art and gardens to cowboys and a rocking nightlife— the Texas city has it all for springtime visitors.

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Fort Worth

www.fortworth.com

Fort Worth Botanic Garden http://fwbg.org

Kimbell Art Museum

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www.kimbellart.org

Stockyards National Historic District http://goo.gl/lJBVN

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame

http://goo.gl/WrWvD5

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t’s the 16th largest city in the United States, but you may not realize its magnitude when you visit. And that, say its residents, is what makes Fort Worth, Texas, so great.

“Fort Worth has such a calming and friendly way about it. You can never meet a stranger; we tend to call this place ‘the smallest biggest city’ in the country. Everyone seems to know everyone,” says Claire Lawhon Pearce, a resident of Fort Worth.

But even if you don’t know anyone, there’s plenty to see and do in the city.

“It’s a small-town feel in a lot of ways, but Fort Worth has the amenities of a big city. ...Our mix of food, culture, sports, music, shopping and bars is diverse and fun,” says Natalie Boenker, who has lived in Fort Worth for nearly three decades. This “mix” of possibilities is especially

great in the spring.

“Fort Worth in the spring is beautiful, assuming it hasn’t gotten too hot, or too wet. ... It’s nice to see the flowers bloom and sit outside for a patio beer down on 7th Street or Magnolia [Avenue], or venture out to the beautiful Botanic Garden and Japanese Garden,” says Pearce. “Spring is also fun for a [Texas Christian University] Horned Frogs baseball game in their newly updated stadium as well as a great night at the new Coyote Drive-In theater, where you’ll have a one-of-akind view of the Fort Worth skyline.”

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden, a group of 23 specialty gardens, is the oldest of its kind in Texas. It is home to more than 2,500 species of native and exotic plants. The Japanese Garden, built in 1973, features koi-filled pools, dramatic waterfalls, Japanese architecture and plants that “create a serene environment for strolling,” says Sarah Covington, public relations manager for the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The city also boasts of a thriving art district, with five internationally recognized art museums. Boenker recommends a springtime picnic on the lawn of the Kimbell Art Museum, followed by a trip inside the building, which was designed by renowned architect Louis Kahn and

ERIK CLAPP

Below left: Visitors enjoy a meal at the Woodshed Smokehouse restaurant.

Below center left: The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held every Friday and Saturday night.

Below far left: At cow camps, adults and children can get hands-on experience of the equipment used during the cattle drive era.

Courtesy Sundance Square Management

Left: The Fort Worth Water Gardens features three types of pools—aerating, quiet and active.

Center left: A woman shops for boots at Leddy’s Ranch at Sundance Square.

Far left: The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Below: The Sundance Square is known for its urban design, fountains and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system.

is often referred to as one of the most significant works of architecture of the 20th century. Among the permanent pieces in the museum is Michelangelo’s first known painting, “The Torment of Saint Anthony.” Other featured artists include El Greco, Cézanne, Picasso, Rembrandt and Matisse.

While the outdoors and the museums of Fort Worth are wonderful, no trip to the city is complete without a true taste of the Old West. Visitors can venture to the famed Stockyards National Historic District for rodeos, Western saloons, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Herd twice-daily cattle drive, during which real cowboys drive Texas longhorns. The area is also home to the Stockyards Station shops and restaurants, which operate in the old sheep and hog barns, and the Livestock Exchange Building, once called the “Wall Street of the West.”

Visitors have many options to enjoy an evening in Fort Worth. They can go upscale in the Magnolia Avenue neighborhood, where choices include Ellerbe Fine Foods, a farm-to-table restaurant that’s “excellent,” says Boenker, or Nonna Tata for “the most authentic Italian food in the city.” There are Chinese and American cuisine and boutique ice cream options too, according to Boenker, along with a bar called The Usual, which has “big time

mixologists on staff.” Boenker and Pearce recommend the 7th Street corridor as well which, they both say, has a “booming” nightlife, including live music.

Or, visitors can go authentic Texan with a trip to Billy Bob’s Texas, considered the world’s largest honky-tonk—a nightclub featuring country music. It was built in 1910 as a cattle barn for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. For over 30 years, Billy Bob’s Texas has been the Fort Worth destination for Western-style entertainment. It has arcades and casinos, line dancing lessons, professional bull riding demonstrations and music concerts. Country stars Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, George Strait and Robert Earl Keen as well as celebrities like Ray Charles and Bob Hope have all performed here. It also hosts rock ’n’ roll and pop music artists.

Fort Worth is adjacent to Dallas, Texas, and the cities share an airport that acts as a hub for travel throughout the world. While having a car in the city is the easiest option for getting around, visitors can also rent bikes to travel between Fort Worth’s attractions, which increase every year.

“New things are always popping up,” says Boenker.

“But finding favorite and old standbys is easy too!”

Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York City-based freelance writer.

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BEN/Courtesy Flickr PATRICK GILLESPIE/Courtesy Flickr VICTORIA PICKERING/Courtesy Flickr Photographs courtesy National Cherry Blossom Festival

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, D.C., the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington in 1912, and the friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year, the festival will be celebrated from March 20 to April 17 and feature diverse programs promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and community spirit. The festival includes the Blossom Kite Festival, which will showcase the creativity of kite makers and skill of fliers from across the United States and other countries, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/

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