Pallavi is the Program Director of USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) 2.0’s LASER PULSE (Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research, Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine) Program. LASER engages universities and practitioners in long-term technical and research assistance with USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Offices (M/B/IOs) as they seek to solve their most pressing development challenges. It is a $70M USAID-funded program that manages research for development in USAID Partner Countries across development sectors and leads a network of 3400+  researchers, practitioners, and private sector representatives from  77 countries. Before joining LASER PULSE, Pallavi led Purdue’s Shah Family Global Innovation Lab which works on translating Purdue’s R&D strength into solutions for global impact. 

Pallavi has an extensive background of working in technology, consulting, social innovation, and entrepreneurship with public, private, and academic institutions. Previously, she has also worked as a software engineer with IBM Software Labs in India, Autodesk in Singapore and as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in London. Pallavi is an Ashoka Fellow and INK Fellow and has a M.A. in International Development from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, US, a M.S. in Management Information Systems from the London School of Economics, UK and a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering from India.