Shawnee State University
Ohio, USA
Dr. Lavanya Vemsani
Dr. Lavanya Vemsani is an award‑winning scholar and Professor of History specializing in Indian History and Religions in the Department of Social Sciences at Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio. She holds two doctoral degrees: a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from McMaster University, Canada, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Hyderabad, India. Her doctoral research at McMaster University received the South Asia Council of the Canadian Asian Studies Association (SACA/CASA) Best Thesis Honorable Mention Award.
Dr. Vemsani’s research and teaching interests are wide‑ranging and interdisciplinary, encompassing ancient Indian history, Indic religions, and contemporary historical developments in India. She has authored several influential books, including Modern Hinduism in Text and Context, Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture: Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names, and Hindu and Jain Mythology of Balarama. She serves as Editor‑in‑Chief of the American Journal of Indic Studies, Managing Editor of the International Journal of Indic Studies, and is on the editorial and review boards of multiple international journals. She served asa Vice-President and President-Elect of Ohio Academy of History (2018-2020).