Jonathan D. Ripley

Jonathan Ripley has been teaching Tamil at Harvard University since 2012. He first began studying Tamil after graduating from Oberlin College in 1997 when he received a fellowship to teach English at American College in Madurai. He later joined the University of Chicago to study Tamil at the postgraduate level with Prof. Norman Cutler. Jonathan has been an active participant in the Harvard Tamil Chair, Inc. fundraising efforts, and has led teacher trainings in American Tamil community schools. In addition to his work in academia, Jonathan has worked in the non-profit sector in India in the fields of public health and human rights. He frequently travels back to Tamil Nadu to support his work at Harvard and connect with the many friends he has made over the years.