Hi, I’m Anindya!

My name is Dr. Anindya Kundu. I am a husband, twin dad, writer, educator, and public scholar. Specifically, I am a sociologist.

I am an Associate Professor at Florida International University in Miami— a top research institution, but more importantly, the nation’s leading school for promoting students’ social mobility. I study how we, as a society, can help more people achieve great things. I believe we get achievement wrong…over-focusing on individual accolades and neglecting the positive impacts we can have on the lives of others. That’s where our true power and agency is. When we harness it, we lift each other up and become more prosperous, stable, and healthy.

That’s the world I fight for.

I’ve had great opportunities and experiences. I am a 2-time TED Speaker and author of the award-winning book, The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Opportunity Gap. More recently, I wrote the book Transforming Educational Leadership which shows how anyone can and must be a leader to positively influence education and the lives of students everywhere. My research explores the conditions that help people to thrive, especially despite significant obstacles.

My work has appeared in USA Today, NPR Education, The Miami Herald, MSNBC, Huffington Post, and my TED Talks have received over 6 million views. 

My areas of expertise include the sociology of self help; K-12 and college achievement; equity and cultural competency in schools and workplaces; the sociology behind psychology; school-workforce partnerships; and inclusive workforce development.

I earned my PhD in at New York University (NYU) where I worked with our nation’s leading authorities on student achievement, including sociologist Dr. Pedro Noguera and psychologist Dr. Angela Duckworth. I am an award-winning educator who constantly looks to amplify student voice to create more equitable pathways to opportunity for all.

Thanks for stopping by and reading all of this! :)

Anindya