Mestenhauser Student Award

Sumitra Madhuri Ramachandran is a student in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, currently pursuing a master of education/post-baccalaureate certificate in adult education. Sumitra founded the Council of International Graduate Students (CIGS) in 2013 in order to better address the needs of international graduate students at the University of Minnesota. Previously, Sumitra served as the executive vice president of the Council of Graduate Students (COGS). Sumitra has co-facilitated Cross-Cultural Discussion Groups hosted by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), engaging international and domestic students in discussions about their experiences. Sumitra also collaborated with ISSS on the Intercultural Workshop Series as a content expert on India. Across all of these experiences, Sumitra advocates for international students to ensure that their voices are heard and they can fully contribute to the university community.