People

Our Team

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Yogesh Joshi

Director, The India Center

Yogesh Joshi, Ph.D. is the Indian Community Endowed Assistant Professor and Director of The India Center. His research focuses on military technological diffusion among rising powers, conventional military and nuclear strategy, and alliance politics with an empirical focus on India, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
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Leila Chacko

Leila Chacko

Assistant Director

Leila Chacko is the Assistant Director for The India Center at UCF. Her responsibilities include overseeing and developing programming for The India Center to broaden the awareness and understanding of contemporary India.
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Arjun Sherugar

Student Office Assistant 

Arjun Sherugar is a Student Office Assistant for The India Center at UCF. He is pursuing his undergraduate degree at UCF, majoring in Computer Science. His responsibilities are to assist with daily office operations. Additionally, he prepares for campus events and assists professional staff with reports and special projects as needed.

Contact: indiacenterstudent@ucf.edu

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Andy Pham

Student Office Assistant 

Andy Pham is a Student Office Assistant for The India Center at UCF. He is pursuing his undergraduate degree at UCF, majoring in Health Sciences Pre-clinical, on the pre-dental path at UCF. He is responsible for daily administrative operations of The India Center.

Contact: indiacenterstudent@ucf.edu

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Dharma Bhatt

Graduate Research Assistant

Dharma Bhatt is a Graduate Research Assistant for The India Center at the University of Central Florida. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Security Studies program at UCF. He holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Maryland – Baltimore County and an MA in International Security from George Mason University. Broadly, his research primarily focuses on military strategy, with an interest in cyber capabilities, intelligence, and adaptation. Outside of the classroom, Dharma is an active member of Knight Runners, UCF’s official running club. His role is to assist with advancing the Center’s research agenda.

Affiliate Faculty — College of Sciences

Affiliate Faculty — College of Engineering and Computer Science

Affiliate Faculty — College of Arts and Humanities

Affiliate Faculty — College of Community Innovation and Education

Fellow

Monica Singhania

Monica Singhania

Non-Resident Fellow

Monica Singhania, Ph.D. is a Non-Resident Fellow with The UCF India Center. She earned her Ph.D. in finance from the University of Delhi in 2006. She is a Professor at the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.

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INTERNS

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Fabian Arcila

Fall 2026 Media Intern

Fabian Arcila is a student at the University of Central Florida studying Interdisciplinary Studies. He is passionate about marketing and photography and enjoys using creativity to connect with others and make a positive impact in the community. He is also a proud alumnus of the LEAD Scholars Academy and HIP Scholars program. Fabian is currently a member of UCF’s Professional Selling Program.

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Shivram Sundar

Research Intern

Shivram Sundar is a Research Intern at the UCF India Center, where he applies his knowledge as double major in Computer Science and Political Science to global research initiatives. With a keen interest in international affairs, he previously interned with UCF’s Global Perspectives & International Initiatives, conducting in-depth research on major global powers. Currently, Shivram is completing his Honors Undergraduate Thesis in collaboration with the UCF DRACO Lab and the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, supported by funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research. His research integrates political analysis with technological insights, reflecting his diverse academic background. Looking ahead, Shivram plans to attend law school, with a focus on patent law, aiming to bridge innovation and legal expertise in his future career.

Eduardo Minoga Barreto
Eduardo Minoga Barreto

Research Intern

Eduardo Minoga Barreto is an intern with The India Center at UCF and an undergraduate student majoring in International Relations. In his role, he supports the planning and execution of India Center programs and events, while also assisting professional staff with reports and special projects.

PAST INTERNS

Sean Vaz
Sean Vaz

Spring 2026 Media Intern

Sean Vaz is a junior at UCF studying media production and management with a focus on sports. He is an active member of Hitting The Field, the university’s student-driven sports production program. This semester, he is serving as the assistant producer for the show’s main broadcast. Sean has also worked with the UCF Athletics Productions team, contributing to game coverage during the past fall football season and the current spring basketball season.

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Nirmala Puppala

Fall 2025 technical support Intern / Summer 2025 Media Intern

Nirmala Puppala is an international student from India, currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Information Technology. Before coming to UCF, she completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Andhra University in India. At The India Center, Nirmala assists with daily office tasks and events. In her free time, she enjoys painting, listening to music, and cooking.

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Ryan Granger

Summer 2025 Research Intern

Ryan is a Political Science BA major with an emphasis on American Politics, but he has a passion for International Politics. His research background includes researching election integrity not only in the United States, but in countries such as Mexico, Italy, and India. Ryan is also interested in the historical background of the India-Pakistan relationship, shaped by events dating back to their independence.

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Liliana Hogan

Spring 2025 Research and Media Intern

Liliana Hogan is a Political Science major at the University of Central Florida, expected to graduate in June 2026. A dedicated scholar, she is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Liliana brings strong communication and editorial experience to her role as a student intern with The India Center, having previously served as Features Editor of her high school newspaper. Her academic work—ranging from public policy to global civilizations—complements her interest in civic engagement and international affairs. At the Center, she supports event planning, news and social media efforts, drawing on her strengths in writing, collaboration, and attention to detail.