Born and raised in India, Dr. Natasha Dias comes from a family of servitude.
“Both of my parents did a lot of service in their lives, and they taught me the meaning and value of service since I was a kid,” Dias said.
Growing up, she was a church altar server between her 4th and 10th grade years in school. She performed service through her church parish youth group, as well as community and national service through the Red Cross in India while she worked toward her undergraduate degree. While pursuing her PhD at Duquesne University, Dias volunteered at shelters and worked on construction projects through her affiliation with Crossroads, a Christian youth group.
Now, as assistant professor in PennWest’s Department of Biology & Geosciences, Dias continues to serve, often through spreading international cultural awareness. Her work in that realm has garnered recognition as PennWest Clarion’s 2024 recipient of the Keepers of the Flame award. The award is presented annually on each of the 14 campuses in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education to a person who embodies a commitment to creating and promoting diverse and inclusive environments that cultivate a sense of belonging.
According to the materials nominating Dias for the award, she “is a shining example of the Keepers of the Flame award. Her unwavering commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and supportive community on campus, coupled with her extensive involvement in community service and student support, make her an exceptional candidate for this prestigious honor.”
The submissions cited Dias’ impact on the university and broader community through her leadership in organizing events and volunteer opportunities, including a women’s tent during Autumn Leaf Festival, where mothers could nurse their babies away from the crowds, Earth Day community clean-ups and volunteering with foster care.
On campus, in addition to her work as assistant professor of biology, she advises several student clubs, including Clarion International (Students) Association, Beta Beta Beta (national biology honorary) and the Animal Care Club.
Her advisement of CINTA, especially, has provided opportunities for Dias to bring cultural experiences to the Clarion campus, and to share regional American culture with international students.
“The past president of CINTA, Ms. Elli Joannidou, approached me to become the advisor in 2019 so I could share my culture with the Clarion campus,” Dias said. “Being a former international graduate student at Duquesne University, I knew the struggles of international students with loneliness, struggling to fit in, and the desire to have some sort of familiarity on campus through cultural events.”
Dias accepted the role as CINTA advisor, and she began to plan international cultural events.
“I realized that a lot of our international students did not have opportunities to experience the U.S. culture, so I started planning events around American holidays: Halloween haunted barn experience, ice skating, and visits to Niagara Falls and Hershey Park,” she said. “These not only gave international students an opportunity to learn something new, but they broadened the friendships and relationships between domestic and international students.”
She has been eager, too, to share international cultures with domestic students and the public through events such as Diwali (Hindu festival of lights), Holi (Hindu festival of colors), Day of the Dead (Mexican day to honor loved ones who have died) and Cultural Night. The feedback she receives is rewarding.
“When the students, staff and community attend these events, they are surprised to learn about other nations’ cultures,” Dias said. “I have had students approach me saying they never knew about the significance of the skulls, monarch butterflies and marigolds for Day of the Dead, until they attended our event. Similarly, the significance of the lights during Diwali and the forehead bindi (sticker) versus sindoor (red dot) on women was something the students appreciated learning about the Indian culture.”
The dances and presentations during Cultural Night provide an opportunity for the audience to learn something new about different nations. The international cuisine provided is a highly anticipated portion of the event.
Dias’ own experiences with different cultures have influenced her life, and she’s passing the gift to her young daughter through early exposure to different places and people.
“This summer, I took my American-born daughter and husband to India to share my childhood culture with them, and we also visited my sister in Dubai for a week and enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the city and lifestyle. We also visited Canada this summer to show my child Niagara Falls.”
Through her own travels, she became fascinated by middle eastern culture and food during a 2009 trip to Oman, on the Arabian Peninsula. She came to the United States later that year and experienced American culture for the first time. In 2013, Dias and her sister visited Montreal, Canada, where they explored Quebec and Ontario.
“Visiting these places broadened my perspective of what is important in life, and what isn't, for each nation. Every country has different principles and values, and it was interesting to experience these cultural differences and similarities,” Dias said. “American and Canadian lifestyle is very stressful, with a lot of emphasis on performance. Indian lifestyle is all about the food and being relaxed and happy, and a lot of importance and time are given to socialization and spending time with family and friends. Oman and Dubai are also very business oriented, similar to the U.S., but there is a lot of emphasis on appearances, and people spend a lot of their earnings on having fancy cars, wearing branded clothes and fashion.”
By exposing students to cultural differences, Dias said they better understand why people from other nations have different personalities, and they become aware of what’s important to people in different parts of the world.
“People are the same overall. We all want to be happy and enjoy the company of our friends and family and have memories to cherish,” Dias said. “To me, the difference between people of different nations lies in what they are culturally adapted to doing and what aspects of life are more important than others.”
Cultural diversity is a great teacher.
“It's OK to be ignorant about another individual's culture due to lack of opportunity, but it's important to make attempts to get to know and learn about them and be more mindful, respectful and accepting of people's personalities, which are driven by their cultural upbringing,” Dias said.
Dias is humbled and appreciative of receiving the Keepers of the Flame honor. She was overwhelmed to learn that five different students submitted nominations. Self-described as student driven, it’s not surprising.
“I am constantly learning from my students about what they like, and I am always looking out for opportunities to make their journey at Clarion a memorable one. When I look back at my college days, more than the academics, it's the social and charitable events that were more memorable,” she said. “At Clarion, I always have students in my office for advising (even if they are not my advisees), hanging out, taking their lunch breaks with me, and sharing their life stories with me. Students find me approachable, and very often I hear them say, ‘Dias, we are so grateful that you care about us, in all aspects.’”
She invites the campus and community to this year’s Diwali Festival of Lights, beginning at 5 p.m. Nov. 1 in the third-floor lobby of the Science and Technology Center. There, participants can enjoy an Indian buffet, hear Indian music, light sparklers, get a henna tattoo and make their own Diwali candle. The event is free.
Dias' research interests include mammalian cancer cells, the impact of NSAIDs on neuronal cells, and the potential therapeutic use of zinc to prevent diabetes-induced osteoporosis. Now a proud U.S. citizen, she resides in Clarion with her family.
Keepers of the Flame awards will be presented Oct. 28 at the PASSHE Summit at Millersville University. Dias will accept her award virtually during a campus watch party from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Gemmell 250. All are welcome.