Mrs. Soma Basu, as an IBDP coordinator, Head of Science, and MUN Director at DAIS, represents the ideals of leadership and perseverance. Primarily teaching biology, she has worked at DAIS for over 15 years and forms an integral member of the school community. As a child, she didn’t have any specific plans to teach. Mrs. Basu completed both her B.Sc. in Physiology, Zoology, Botany, and English as well as her M.Sc. in physiology with a specialization in Biophysics from The University College of Science and Technology under the University of Calcutta. Upon completing her education, the flow of events brought her to school teaching which she has continued to do for the past 21 years. Through her everyday interactions with students she has learnt much and continues to consider her profession very rewarding.

Mrs. Basu’s decision to pursue the sciences stems from an innate love for making observations and recording changes in the environment. Science provides valid explanations for these phenomena and she thrives in the excitement and challenge of doing a new experiment. Mrs. Basu’s family always supported her decisions and she developed several friendships along the way. Since her teenage years she has been fascinated by the intellect, wisdom, rigor and achievements of Swami Vivekananda. She values and imbibes the power of mindfulness and self-motivation. “I believe in the joy of learning; the process itself should be meaningful and enjoyable.” In the future, she plans on learning more about other disciplines for the holistic application of knowledge. With technological advancements, scientists are pushing the boundaries of possibility by achieving the impossible. Recent breakthroughs in genetic engineering have opened the door for miracle crops and super-muscled animals. We will soon be able to edit out disease with CRISPR technology; however, that does not mean that we become complacent. The current pandemic has shown us once again that the force of nature is stronger than anything the human race is capable of. New pathogens will keep striking us and catch us unprepared. “Science and scientific endeavor need to be beneficial not only to humans but also to the surrounding environments, both biotic and abiotic.”

Many women scientists have made historical contributions in scientific research. We know of Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Dorothy Hodgkin, Bibha Chowdhuri, Soumya Swaminathan, Kalpana Chawla...the list is endless. Several women are naturally empathetic and bring in a caring, responsible, humane approach to their work. Mrs. Basu herself never faced any gender-based discrimination in the workplace or felt as if she was being forced to meet someone else’s expectations. With a strong mind and will, she is a true inspiration for her students and the other faculty members. Mrs. Basu advises those pursuing the sciences to reach for their interests and passions and to always possess a positive attitude towards learning.