Meet Usha Vance's Parents, Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri
As a new administration takes office in Washington D.C., the family of new Second Lady Usha Vance will be in the spotlight.
Usha’s parents, Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri and Lakshmi Chilukuri, moved from India to the U.S. in the late 1970s. According to Reuters, “The family is originally from a village called Vadduru in Andhra Pradesh state but moved to Chennai when Usha Vance's paternal grandfather, Ramasastry Chilukuri, went to teach at the IIT there around the time it was set up in 1959, members of the family said. The IIT now runs a student award in the memory of Ramasastry, who used to teach physics.”
Krish and Lakshmi raised Usha and her sister in a Hindu household. “I did grow up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu and that is one of the things that made them such good parents, that made them really good people. And so I have seen the power of that,” Usha said in an interview.
They both work as professors; Usha's mother, Dr. Lakshmi Chilukuri, is in the Molecular Biology department at UC San Diego, where she also serves as the Provost of Sixth College. She was appointed provost in 2018, and in one letter to students, she signed it “Provost Chill/Dr. C/Provost Chilukuri.”
“Professor Chilukuri is a creative and dynamic educator with experience using evidence-based teaching tools. She is currently Coordinator of the Undergraduate Microbiology Teaching Laboratory in the Division of Biological Sciences. In this role, Professor Chilukuri is responsible for designing the microbiology teaching laboratory curriculum, coordinating Instructional Assistant training, and mentoring adjunct faculty,” UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said in an announcement.
He added, “Professor Chilukuri has a demonstrated record of commitment to undergraduate education, equity, and diversity. She is one of the founding members of the pilot course in Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Biology and Medicine, exploring the practice and philosophy of science from a multicultural perspective, the historical use and misuse of science in biomedical research and social policies, and issues of race and medicine in a post-genomic age. She is a member of the Division of Biological Sciences Diversity Committee and served as a Marshall Mentor for three years (2008- 2010). With a commitment to student success and training in critical, analytical, and quantitative thinking, Professor Chilukuri has served on numerous college and divisional committees.”
He concluded, “In her role as Provost, Professor Chilukuri will not only oversee and guide the college in its present configuration, but will also help Sixth College evolve new partnerships and aspirations related to its future move to the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Community Neighborhood. We are delighted to have her at the helm during this exciting time.”
Usha's father, Dr. Krish Chilukuri, is in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at San Diego State University.
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