SJD graduate, Tarini Mehta ’19, was recently appointed as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the O. P. Jindal Global University's School of Environment and Sustainability. Tarini notes that “[t]his is a new multi-disciplinary school offering an innovative program covering law, policy and science related to environmental conservation, sustainable development and climate change.” She will be teaching courses on environmental law, as well as the intersection between human rights and the environment.
Tarini feels that her time at Pace enriched her in so many ways. “The time I spent at Pace has been a most memorable period of my life. The professors with whom I had the privilege of being associated nurtured my intellectual growth and helped deepen my research for my SJD thesis. The wonderful friends I made have filled my life with warmth and kindness.” In particular, the time and guidance she received from Professor Nicholas Robinson, as her SJD supervisor, were especially notable for Tarini. “We would meet almost every week to discuss my thesis. This helped crystallise my ideas and fine-tune my research. With his motivation and guidance, I was able to complete my SJD thesis in a year. I would not have been able to do this without his belief in me. Professor Robinson has been a source of great inspiration for me and I am truly privileged to have had him as my doctoral supervisor.”
While completing her SJD, Tarini also worked with the Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in New York, during which time she attended sessions at the United Nations and worked on side events organized during the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2019 and the UN High-Level Week in September 2019. This gave Tarini a first-hand understanding of international environmental diplomacy.
“Pace provides a vibrant learning atmosphere, and very interesting extra-curricular and career development activities and projects that help hone the skills of its students, leading them closer to achieving their career goals. It is one of the best places to study environmental law and develop an understanding of the subject and skills involved in this area of law. It equips students to contribute most effectively to conservation and sustainable development. I am forever grateful for my experiences at Pace and the ways in which they led me to where I am in my career today.”
