Former intern Roshni Lal named new Director of Academic Appointments and Internships

Dr. Monique Chism, Under Secretary for Education, announced earlier this week that Dr. Roshni D. Lal will serve as the new Director for the Office of Academic Appointments and Internships, effective November 6, 2023. Lal has dedicated more than 20 years to educating and serving various populations in higher education, K-12, museums, and the U.S. military.

In her previous role as the Assistant Director for Alumni Career Services of the West Coast with Syracuse University, Lal provided people with career enhancement and professional development experiences through a culturally inclusive lens. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges & Employers as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Prior to her role with Syracuse University, she served as the Director for Career Planning & Employer Relations with Marymount California University where she also taught career development courses and served on the university’s inaugural DEI committee.

In her former positions, Lal designed educational programming and exhibitions for the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Education and Museum Studies and the National Institutes of Health Stetten Museum, conducted recruitment and created programming for internships in D.C. with The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars, and served as a civilian career counselor in Seoul, South Korea for U.S. military service members.

Lal is from the Los Angeles area and earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education & Students Affairs and a Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies from Claremont Graduate University, an M.A. in Museum Studies from The George Washington University, and a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Scandinavian Studies from UCLA. Her greatest joys include watching her two sons thrive each day and visiting Fiji to connect her sons with their island roots.

“As a former two-time Smithsonian intern herself (NMAH and APAC), Roshni. Lal is ecstatic to return to D.C. to join the OAAI team and impact the comprehensive and holistic experience of fellows, interns, and academic appointees,” said Dr. Chism.

“I also want to thank Pamela Hudson-Veenbaas for serving as Interim Director for OAAI since January 2023” Chism continued. “Pamela continues to demonstrate her commitment and dedication to the office and Smithsonian as a whole. Her comprehensive and deep understanding of the programs, requirements, systems, and process is invaluable and greatly appreciated. During this transition Pamela has provided leadership to help improve systems and processes and worked to help increase office capacity to meet the needs of units and appointees.”

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