Piya Narayen

Administration
805-684-4127 x224
piya_narayen@cate.org

BA, St. Stephen's College, Delhi University

MA, University of Virginia

PhD (ABD), University of Virginia

Appointed: 2021



Piya Narayen steps onto the Mesa as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion after serving as a founding member of RISE (Radical Inclusion for Social Equity Committee) and teaching history at Crossroads School in Santa Monica for the past eight years. She will also teach in the History Department at Cate – specifically, a UC approved, senior advanced course that she designed on Contemporary Global Geopolitics – in addition to serving as an advisor, dorm parent, and sitting on several committees including: Steering, Internal, DEI Core, DEI Teaching, and DEI Community, while also coordinating with Residential Life, Campus Life, Student Services and Dean of students on their several programs. Piya also sits on the Board Inclusion Committee, Education & Student Life Board Committee as well as full meetings of the Board of Trustees.



Born in a vibrant Indian family from mixed backgrounds, Piya hails from Allahabad, and grew up in the big city of Delhi, receiving her bachelor’s degree in history honors from St. Stephens College, Delhi University. She came to the United States for graduate work in history at the University of Virginia upon receiving a President’s Fellowship.



In her spare time, Piya loves to cook Indian food, and cannot wait to travel home to see her family that she has not seen in over two years.