Executive Board

Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy is a visiting faculty member in the Department of Ethnomusicology. Amy’s research, writing and multi-media publications often have an applied focus aimed at community development of minority traditions, especially in diasporic settings. Her applied research includes projects with Cambodian-American refugees and the Hmong –American tribal minority of Laos. She and UCLA historian Edward Elperis co-edited sides and scholars: Essays on African Indians (Rainbow Publication) concerning the African-Indian side community of India. Her recent writings address the impact of international touring on the sacred traditions of Sidi Sufis.

Rai Mumtaz is the Manager and curator of Hashoo Museum, Karachi. He has been involved in Ginan, Islamic and Ismaili Studies for several years. He is a prolific writer on several aspects of Ginans and has recently published a masterly essay on the Grath Girbhavali Nani (ગીરભવલિ નાની) by Pir Sadardin. Rai Mumtaz has published 14 books on various aspects of Ismailism. His Mangnum Opus is the 101 Ismaili Heros and is currently wroking on Ismaili Heros Part II. He has been honorary lecturer/waezeen for the last 45 years.

Balvant Jani is the Professor at Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar (M.P) and Director of  Gardi Research Institute for Diaspora Studies, Rajkot. He is one of the most distinguished scholar in medieval Gujarati literature with over 126 research papers and is associated with numerous foreign and domestic universities. He also contributes to the study of bardic oral and folk literature, hagiography and hymnology of traditional Saints and he has studied extensively on classical medieval Gujarati. He has written ‘Comparative Analysis of Satpanth Ismaili Ginans and Gujarati Bhajans of Bhakti Traditions

Dr. Urvashi Manuprasad Pandya is a Professor and Former Head of Gujarati language and Literature at the University of Mumbai.She is Chairperson of the Women Development Cell at the University of Mumbai, which has 1800 colleges of Maharashtra affiliated with this Cell. Dr. Urvashi Pandya is an eminent scholar, a well-known Gujarati writer, poet, researcher, critic, editor, and translator. She has published over fourteen books. Dr Urvashi Pandya has been associated with ASG for over a decade. With her specialization in the history of Medieval Gujarat, Ginans have been at the core of her study and research of devotional poets of Gujarat and India.