Usha Saha, Ph.D., was born in Vijayawada, India in a Hindu family and practiced “Hinduism’, which is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. She comes from a family of professionals. Her father was in the Air Force and her mother was a school principal. Her siblings are doctors, educators, and engineers. Married in 1990, she and her husband came to the U.S. in 1991 as postdoctoral fellows after completion of their Ph.Ds. Their son was only six months old at the time. Later she changed from research to public school teaching so that she could devote more time for her son. Her passion for learning did not stop. She earned two master’s degrees in education from the University of Missouri in Kansas City (UMKC) before beginning work in school administration.
She is active with the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (HTCC) in Shawnee, KS where she is the Director of Outreach and also served in various capacities for over 20 years including the president of HTCC in 2017. Dr. Saha and her husband are very proud of their son who is an M.D. from UMKC School of Medicine and currently pursuing a fellowship in Child Psychiatry at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.
Dr. Saha has been representing the India Association of Kansas City (IAKC) as the ethnic commissioner for more than a decade to Kansas City Mayor’s Ethnic Commission. She is also a member of board of directors at the United Nations of Kansas City, Missouri Chapter, and International Relations Council (IRC) in Kansas City. She brings diversity to the UN and IRC and fosters relationships with the Indian and Asian community. She is determined to bring different cultures together and close the gaps. Her professional life has no limits in mentoring and educating high school students and preparing them as respected global citizens.