BIO
Gautam Nayer was born in Boynton Beach, Florida in 1978. Six years later, his family moved back to India, where they lived for almost 10 years. He later attended high school in Florida and college at American University. After a year of law school, he realized that teaching was his calling. He completed a master's degree in public administration at UNC Pembroke, and a PhD at Rutgers University. After settling down in Houston, he began lecturing at Texas Southern University, where he still teaches today. He has also completed a master of liberal studies at Rice University. He stays connected with the Rice community through The Rice Minority Students and Alumni Network, an online group Gautam co-created to help facilitate connections and mentorship for minority students. He has also served through Pure Justice and the Center for the Healing of Racism. In this interview, Gautam also discusses his family history, his teaching philosophy, and his experiences with raising a child with his wife.