Muna Sapkota

• • Ph.D.Purdue University, USA. Expected May 2026
    • Dissertation: Understanding Intercultural Competency Through Narratives of South Asian Female Teaching Assistants in the U.S.
  • M.A. Tribhuvan University, Nepal, English, 2018
    • Thesis: The Other Side of South African Apartheid: A New Historical Reading of Nadine Gordimer’s My Son’s Story
  • Undergraduate, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, English, Sociology, and Anthropology 2015

• Graduate Assistant- Dean’s Office, College of Education, Purdue University
• Teaching Assistant, EDCI 205, Spring 2022-Spring 2025.
• Teaching Assistant, Global Social Justice in Education (GSJE, Spring 2022
• Lecturer, Nepal College of Management, Nepal, 2019-2021

• Annual Graduate Student Education Research Symposium Award, Purdue University 2022
• Curriculum Studies Graduate Student Award, Purdue University, 2023
• Graduate School Summer Research Grant, Purdue University, 2024
• Curriculum Studies Graduate Student Award, Purdue University, 2024
• CILMAR Seed Grant, Purdue University, 2025

• Sapkota, M. (2021). Women as subalterns in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar” and “A Real Durwan.” Scholars, 3 (2), 135-143.
  https://doi.org/10.3126/sjah.v3i2.39437
• Jaiswal, A. Master, C., Jin, L., Schenkel, A., Inani, T., Sapkota, M., Krishnan, N. (2023) It’s Never Too Soon! Comparing Intercultural Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate Students via Face-to-face and Online Teaching Modalities. Perspectives 8(4) 761-781. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-00015
• Jaiswal, A., Sapkota, M., Karabiyik, T., & Thomas, P. (n.d.). Cultivating a global mindset in first year cybersecurity students through internationalization of Curriculum. ICERI2023 Proceedings. http://dx.doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2023.0618
• Deogratias, E., Newton, J., Sapkota, B., Mumba, F., Sapkota, M., Fauber, D., Murat, Aatang. N, Mbewe, R., Lou, X., & Phillion, J. (2023). Exploring international educators’ learning about local and global social justice in a virtual community practice. IGI Global.
• Sapkota, M. (2023) “Second Reaction: Be Strong – A Young Girl’s Inspirational Journey.” First Opinion Second Reactions 16(2) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/fosr/vol16/iss2/3
• Sapkota, B., Xuwei, L., Sapkota, M., Akarsu, M., Deogratias, E., Fauber, D., Mbewe, R., Mumba, F., Panthi, R., Newton, J., & Phillion, J. (2024). Exploring international educators’ learning about local and social justice in a virtual community of practice. In A. Slapac & C. Huertas-Abril (Eds.), Encouraging transnational learning through telecollaboration in global teacher education (pp. 45-78). IGI Global
• Jaiswal, A., Sapkota, M., & Acheson, K. (2024). Bridging borders: assessing the impact of semester-long study abroad programs on intercultural competence development in undergraduate engineering students. International Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 24–19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00483-6
• Jin, L., Jaiswal, A., Jones, D. C., Sapkota, M., McClure, S. N., & Stahl, A. (2024). Enhancing Intercultural Learning in Study Abroad Through an Online Curriculum in Group-Mentored Intervention. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 36(1), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i1.811
• Sapkota, M. (2024): First Opinion: Where is the Buddha. First-Opinions Second Reactions 1 (17) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/fosr/vol17/iss1/10

SUBMITTED

• Sapkota, M. & Goodwin, J. (2025) It is exhausting: A duo-ethnographic exploration of intersectional challenges, emotional labor, and power dynamics on early-career educators [Manuscript Submitted for Publication]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University.
• Hogue, B. Osei-Tutu, A., Neal-Stanley, A., Wessel-Powell, C., Fry, M. Karki, T., Sapkota, M., Xue, M.& Xuwei Luo (2025) Walk it Like You Talk It!” The Freedom School National Training as a Cultural Immersion Experience for Preservice Teachers Grappling with Self Identities & Positionalities [Manuscript Submitted]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• Luo, X. *, Sapkota, M., * Sapkota, B., Phillion, J., & Newton., J. (2022, March 24). Educators’ perceptions about the impact of social justice movements in global contexts. [Poster presentation] Annual Graduate Student Education Research Symposium (AGSERS). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
• Sapkota, M., Lou, X., Sapkota, B., Phillion, J., & Newton., J. (2022, September 16). Educators’ perceptions about the impact of social justice movements in educational contexts. [Paper presentation] Purdue College of Education Research Seminar. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
• *Sapkota, M., * Luo, X. Sapkota, B., Phillion, J., & Newton., J. (2023, March 31). Cultivation Communities of Practice Via Online Telecollaboration. [Poster presentation] Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium (AGSERS’). Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
• Sapkota, M (2023, March 31). Multilingualism without multiculturalism: Successes and Failures. [Three minutes thesis presentation] Annual Graduate Student Education Research Symposium (AGSERS), 2023, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
• Sapkota, B., *Sapkota, M.*, Luo, X., Newton, J., & Phillion, J. (2023, April 13-16). Exploring international educators’ understandings of local and global social justice in a virtual community of practice. In J. Simmons (Chair). Connecting communities: Transformative research exploring host and indigenous community perspectives in preservice teacher education abroad [Symposium]. 2023 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL.
• Sapkota, B., *Sapkota, M.*, Luo, X., Newton, J., & Phillion, J. (2024, April 11-14). Exploring international educators’ learning about local and global social justice in a virtual community of practice: A focus on racial identity. In D. Carrier (Chair). Exploring race and identity in international education experiences.2024 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, PA.

CILMAR Seed Grant, Purdue University 2025