Abha Rai, Assistant Professor of Social Work, was elected to the role of Vice-President of the South Asian Social Work Educators’ Association  (SASWEA),  an affiliated group of CSWE Commission on Diversity and Social and Economic Justice. The purpose of SASWEA is to provide a platform for social work educators and researchers who are interested in the South Asian region, South Asian population, and/or are of South Asian origin for networking and collaboration. SASWEA comprises around 130 faculty and doctoral students who has roots in the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

“It is my honor to serve on this all women board with other esteemed colleagues who are equally committed to supporting the work of our members and creating new research and professional development opportunities for them”, Rai noted, and added, “As an immigrant female scholar of color, I have often found myself in spaces that make me feel marginalized but through my leadership in SASWEA, it is my hope to provide mentorship and support to several others like me who may have had such difficult experiences”.