Tanya Nair

Hi Eliot! I’m Tanya, and I’m a PhD student in Education studying adolescent development. I’m particularly interested in how fear of failure shapes students’ academic journeys, especially for students from marginalized backgrounds—and more broadly, in how we can create learning environments where young people feel supported enough to take risks, make mistakes, and grow.

I’m from Mumbai, India, and went to UWC in India for highschool, before making my way to North Carolina (my fave state!) for a bachelor’s in Psychology at Davidson College, and then to Philly for a master’s in International Educational Development at the University of Pennsylvania.

Outside of school, I love trying new food spots, hunting down good matcha lattes (a very recent obsession, thanks to Blank Street), making slightly wonky things out of clay (come find me if you want to learn!), doing henna, lifting weights, and watching rom-coms or superhero movies! 

If you see me around the House, please stop me and say hi! I love meeting students, hearing about their experiences, and thinking through problems--small, big, academic, existential, or otherwise :) together.

I’m so excited to meet my Eliot family and make the House feel like home!