Ms. Nilakshi Parndigamage, J.D. appointed as Dean of Ezra Stiles College at Yale University is a past student of Visakaha Vidayalaya, Colombo. Nilakshi was a past Head Prefect at Visakha Vidyalaya. She completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Yale in 2006, has a juris doctor degree from the University Of Virginia School Of Law and has been a practicing attorney in the United States.

Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway noted Ms. Nilakshi’s leadership qualities and her many achievements at Yale as making her particularly suited for the Dean position. Ms. Nilakshi has worked at various international human rights organizations in The Hague, Cape Town, Washington DC and Baghdad. She has also won numerous awards and fellowships relating to international law and human rights. For the past five years she was a practicing lawyer specializing in complex commercial litigation at one of the world’s leading law firms – Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP based in New York and Washington DC. She has won many awards in International Public Speaking in London, Australia and Sri Lanka to name a few.

Ms. Parndigamage J.D., in her capacity as Dean will be the Chief Academic Advisor to approximately 500 undergraduates. She will be teaching a class at the Political Science Department at Yale as well, in addition to her academic programs at Ezra Stiles College.

As a student at Yale Ms.Parndigamage J.D., was involved in many student activities, including serving as the President of the Yale Center for Buddhist Life, and she was very instrumental in organizing the first ever overnight Pirith chanting ceremony at Yale, in the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami.

Besides all of the above she has dedicated her life to international humanitarian issues and public services. Whether working with child abuse victims, leading campus wide efforts to raise funds for Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, or working at The Hague dealing with sexual violence during the war in the former Yugoslavia.

Ms. Parndigamage, J.D., is married to Mr. Patrick Lynch and are proud parents of a 2-year-old son Gihan.