Roshni D. Lal, Ph.D.

Oversee the team responsible for thousands of internships, fellowships, and research associates throughout the Smithsonian Institution’s 21 museums and research facilities globally. Direct and manage all operational and programmatic aspects of the office, including budgeting and staffing. Create and sustain comprehensive and intentional programming that provides interns and fellows with impactful and holistic career and academic experiences that can inspire them during their time with the Smithsonian and beyond. Facilitate the Smithsonian’s interactions with scholars and students while building partnerships with universities, museums and other research institutions around the world. https://www.si.edu/about/bios/roshni-d-lal

• Served as the inaugural head of Alumni Career Services for the West Coast by delivering comprehensive career enhancement through employer relations, networking, professional development, workshops, events, and 1:1 guidance

• Oversaw all office operations including hiring, training, and supervising career staff, student workers, and graduate student interns by delegating and executing tasks to achieve program goals and university mission • Fostered and maintained strategic relationships with employers and community partners from varied industries to maximize internship/job opportunities, professional development events, mentorship, and networking for students and alumni; resulted in growing employer partners and community connections from 25 to over 200 • Expanded the number of academic internships from 72 to 158 from the prior year by establishing and implementing aggressive employer relationship-building, marketing/publicity, community engagement, and cross-campus collaborations that included faculty, staff, various departments, executive leadership teams, and student organizations • Redesigned academic internship curriculum by creating learning outcomes, assignments, and assessments that facilitated comprehensive educational, professional, and personal growth • Created, implemented, and oversaw inaugural Mariner Mentoring Program to connect students with alumni, employers, and staff/faculty who provided guidance and expertise; conducted targeted outreach to marginalized and underserved student groups in need of role models • Developed and disseminated surveys on internship and mentorship programs’ effectiveness and satisfaction each semester to assess data and implement feedback from interns, supervisors, mentors, and mentees • Composed department annual report by tracking and evaluating data on employers, internships, usage of career services, career outcomes, alumni engagement, surveys, demographic analysis, and assessing learning outcomes • Incorporated career and student development theoretical frameworks, nationally recognized best practices, and design thinking to deliver inclusive and equitable career services and high impact practices to inspire and empower students

Taught face-2-face course on the Introduction to Cultural Anthropology at the U.S. Yongsan Military Base in Seoul, South Korea.

Provided career counseling, professional development, educational advising, and transition services to U.S. military service members and families preparing to enter a wide variety of fields in the civilian workforce, both in the U.S. and abroad.

• Developed, implemented, and managed new initiatives and strategies for effective outreach and targeted recruitment of diverse and underrepresented students • Created and facilitated career enhancement, professional development, and cultural awareness programming for interns all of backgrounds • Coordinated and executed Spring and Fall travel to 14 universities nationwide to recruit students from all majors and backgrounds to participate in for-credit internships with a variety of public and private organizations in D.C.

Conducted research, composed script, selected objects, developed, and designed physical and graphic layout of exhibits and displays cases for the Office of NIH History & Stetten Museum. Created exhibition-based curriculum guides for grades K – 12 for both online and onsite exhibitions.

Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies - Served as the instructor and consultant for a museum studies course of 25 urban high school students through a collaborative program with the Next Step Charter School and the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, D.C. Duties included curriculum development, program evaluation, facilitation of exhibition analysis, and preparing students for the creation and installation of an exhibition at the youth center. Assisted the program coordinator with the Smithsonian Teen Writers’ Workshop by organizing teacher orientation and student field trips, arranging for the participation of professional photographers and published authors, and creating and facilitating exhibition-based workshop lesson plans and activities.

Received stipend award from the Smithsonian Minority Internship Program to assist the APA Center full-time with daily functions pertaining to exhibitions, public programs, and outreach.

Assisted with projects related to Jazz music collections and public programs