Dr. Datta at Texas A&M
Dr. Datta served as the Executive Director for LAUNCH and the Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Studies until her retirement in 2024. Dr. Datta joined the faculty at Texas A&M University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Department of Biology in 1993 where she currently holds the rank of Professor. As a faculty member at TAMU she has studied stem cells, brain development and prostate cancer progression, including almost 50 undergraduates in her research programs. In 2008 she moved into administration as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Research. In 2010 she added the position of Executive Director of Honors, merging it with the Office of Undergraduate Research to create Honors and Undergraduate Research. In 2015 responsibility for Learning Communities was added and the unit became known as LAUNCH. She was an SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow in 2013 and was involved with the ADVANCE Center for five years. Under her leadership, Honors and Undergraduate Research/LAUNCH has revitalized the University Honors Program, expanded capstone offerings, and increased the visibility of undergraduate research on campus.
Personal Life & Professional Career
Dr. Datta graduated from the University of Michigan Honors Program with a degree in Chemistry. She then earned her PhD in Biology at the University of California-San Diego and did her postdoctoral work in neural development at Yale University.Dr. Datta is constantly reinventing herself, changing projects and directions every seven years or so since she first graduated with her Bachelor’s degree. She jokes about being a “closet” ADD personality in that she gets bored with projects when they become too predictable. Her changes in research and professional direction result in the constant learning and intellectual challenges that satisfy her curiosity and adventurous spirit. She enjoys pushing her comfort zone through travel and exciting new experiences, although she definitely draws the line at sky diving. Dr. Datta believes strongly in nurturing both the left and right sides of one’s brain, in her case the left brain devoted to science and the right brain devoted to food and the spontaneity and creativity of partnered social dancing. She and her husband are competitive west coast swing dancers, traveling around the country to participate in weekend dance events, workshops, and competitions. She is also the faculty advisor for the AggieWesties (the Texas A&M West Coast Swing Dance Club) and the Texas A&M Ballroom Dance Association.