Nehali Patel is the Assistant Director of Dalai Lama Fellows with the Contemplative Sciences Center. Prior to joining the CSC team, Nehali served as a Program Coordinator with Multicultural Student Services at UVa, supporting the opening and development of the Asian American Student Center. She is also currently an adjunct instructor of English at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Nehali holds a BS in Medical Anthropology from the University of Maryland and an MA in English with a Concentration in Teaching Literature and Writing from the University of Virginia. She is dedicated to enriching the lives of others through practices of kindness, empathy, and compassion. When she isn’t on Grounds or in her classroom, Nehali is usually with her dog, Rajah, pointing out bugs, birds, plants, and planets to him, though he doesn’t pay much attention. Her hobbies include tree hugging, art making, and book worming.