Soka University of America

Hi, I'm Tanushree Agrawal.

I'm an assistant professor of psychology at at Soka University of America.

And I study the aesthetic experiences.

So things like music, art, but also aesthetic experiences in everyday life.

Yeah, I...

I completed a master's program at Soka University, which started in 2021, ended in 2023.

The program is called Educational Leadership and Societal Change.

It's a small private liberal arts school rooted in Buddhist philosophy, etc.

And my first summer class, my first course, I met this professor from UCLA who was a guest lecturer there.

And Soka University is really big on global citizenship.

So then I kind of like had that in the framework of my mind.

And prior to that, I had a lot of activism involvement with, you know, the murder of George Floyd in New York City and like, just like, you know, lots of different mutual aid and food distribution, all that stuff.

Going into the Buddhism thing, so you went to a Buddhist college, is that correct?

So I went to Soka University of America-

Okay.

Okay

Right, Soka

...

Soka University of America.

And looking back, you know, again, sometimes you may not like where your life is going or you might be in a place that you didn't expect, but looking back I'm so grateful because that school is...