2 Indian-Americans elected to top Harvard boards amid row with Trump. Who are they?

First Post

a day ago

Anjali Sud and Sanjay Seth have been elected to join Harvard University's Board of Overseers and the Harvard Alumni Association, respectively. Their appointments come amid ongoing legal and political challenges faced by the university under the Donald Trump-led administration. Notably, Anjali was born in Michigan to Punjabi immigrant parents, while Seth was born in Australia to Indian-origin parents read more
Anjali Sud and Sanjay Seth have been chosen to join Harvard University's Board of Overseers and the Harvard Alumni Association, respectively. Image: Harvard University
Amid an ongoing legal fight with the Donald Trump-led administration, Harvard University's top committees have brought in two Indian-origin alumni.
Anjali Sud and Sanjay Seth have been chosen to join Harvard University's Board of Overseers and the Harvard Alumni Association, respectively.
Anjali takes the place of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who left the university's board on March 9. That was also the day the Liberal Party selected him as its new leader, replacing Justin Trudeau.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
ALSO READ | Harvard wins temporary reprieve from Trump administration's foreign students ban. What happens now?
Who are Anjali Sud and Sanjay Seth? What roles have they been given, and what do those roles involve? We break it down in this explainer, along with the latest on the Trump vs Harvard case.
Here's a look:
Who is Anjali Sud?
The Indian-American business leader is the CEO of the streaming service Tubi and has been elected to Harvard University's Board of Overseers.
She will serve a two-year term starting on 30 May 2025, stepping into the role left vacant by Mark Carney.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1983 to Punjabi immigrant parents, Anjali was raised in Flint.
39 yrs ago my parents tied the knot. Grateful to be with them during this pandemic. Happy anniversary you crazy kids ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ziimPLm4Gk — Anjali Sud (@anjsud) April 27, 2020
She completed her undergraduate studies in finance and management at the University of Pennsylvania and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School in 2011.
Anjali started her career with roles at Amazon, Time Warner, and in mergers and acquisitions. In 2012, she joined Vimeo as Vice President of Global Marketing.
She later became Vimeo's CEO, guiding its shift into a software platform for video creators and leading its public listing in 2021.
In 2023, Anjali took charge as CEO of Tubi, which has become one of the most popular free streaming platforms in the US, attracting close to 100 million monthly users.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
She is the CEO of the streaming service Tubi. Image: Instagram/Anjali Sud
Outside her corporate work, she serves on the boards of Dolby Laboratories and Change.org (where she is chair). She also sits on the executive committee of Phillips Academy Andover's development board, working on financial aid efforts.
She lives in New York City and is a mother of two.
The Board of Overseers is one of Harvard's two main governing bodies, alongside the President and Fellows, also called the Corporation.
Set up in 1642, the Board plays a key role in the university's leadership. One of its main responsibilities is overseeing the visitation process, which allows for regular external reviews of Harvard's schools and departments, according to the university's website.
Anjali's appointment comes at a time when Harvard is facing pressure from the US government over policies related to international students and academic freedom.
Who is Sanjay Seth?
The Indian-American expert in climate and sustainability has been elected as one of the new directors of the Harvard Alumni Association (Haa).
His three-year term will begin on 1 July 2025.
The Harvard Alumni Association board works to strengthen alumni ties, build community, and support volunteer leadership across Harvard's global network of graduates. Seth will be part of this effort through his new role.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Seth was born to Indian-origin parents in Australia and grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota.
He has been elected as one of the new directors of the Harvard Alumni Association. Image: Harvard University
He holds two master's degrees from Harvard: a Master's in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government and a Master's in Urban Planning from the Graduate School of Design, both completed in 2019.
He earned his undergraduate degree at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Seth's career has focused on climate policy, public service, and community organising. He worked as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Climate and Equity at the US Environmental Protection Agency's New England office. Before that, he led climate resilience projects for the City of Boston and was involved in similar efforts in New York City.
ALSO READ | Trump's crackdown on foreign students at US universities may hurt India and China the most. Here's why
Seth also co-founded the Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment group and was a fellow with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
As a student, he helped develop joint climate-focused courses across Harvard's schools and launched the Climate Leaders Programme, encouraging students from different fields to work together on environmental issues.
Donald Trump vs Harvard University
The appointments of the two Indian-origin individuals come at a time when Harvard University is caught in legal and political disputes with the Trump administration.
The university is under pressure following demands to provide records of international students who were part of recent campus protests.
After Harvard declined to comply, the Trump administration launched a move to revoke the university's certification to enrol foreign students.
In a letter from acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons, the administration gave Harvard 30 days to respond to the allegations. These include claims that the university worked with foreign groups and did not do enough to address antisemitism on campus.
On Thursday, a federal judge extended an order that temporarily blocks the Trump administration from stopping Harvard from enrolling international students.
This dispute over international student enrolment marks the latest flashpoint in a growing conflict between the White House and the country's oldest and wealthiest university.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
More than 7,000 international students, visiting scholars, and alumni on post-graduate training programmes depend on Harvard for both sponsorship and legal status in the US.