Dr. Usha Nair-Reichert is an Associate Professor in the School of Economics at Georgia Tech.  Her varied research interests include innovation ecosystems, sustainability, and environmental regulations and their impact on firm strategy, to name a few.  She has been a faculty member since 1995.

My involvement with the Serve-Learn-Sustain community at Georgia Tech led me to reflect about what these words have meant to me at various stages in my life.  As a young child growing up in India, I was very fortunate to see my parents’ lived commitment to service.   Empathy, respecting others, using our resources and skills to help others in need – it was a way of life.   Our neighborhood was a beloved community of families from diverse backgrounds, who shared this way of living– I could not ask for a better place to grow up. 

My earliest memories of sustainability are as a 4-year old.   I just could not understand why my parents were so particular about returning empty glass Coke bottles to the store.   My dad explained to me that by returning the bottles to the store, the Coca Cola Company would be able to clean and reuse the bottles.  That meant we were being good stewards because we were not wasting resources but rather using them wisely.  He also happened to mention that for every bottle we returned, the shopkeeper would give us 5 paise – 1/20th of an Indian Rupee.  I recall my next question very clearly - if I collect the bottles, can I keep the money, daddy?   My economist gene was pretty well developed even then!  Over time, I have come to appreciate the many facets of sustainability.

An understanding of the “learn” aspect, whereby I am able to use my knowledge to serve and sustain, and bring experiences from the field into my work and writings, came much later.  My school was run by nuns (Sisters) from Britain.  In the 8th grade, I started accompanying one of the Sisters whose work in an extremely distressed neighborhood near our school focused on helping and empowering women and children.  The relationships we developed there were based on mutual empathy, respect, and appreciation of each other’s knowledge and skills. We researched and learned about the needs in that community, the conditions in the neighborhood which caused the problems, and what the best solutions might be in terms of effectiveness, sustainability, and long term viability.   We soon realized the important role of beliefs, culture, values, and social customs in implementing new initiatives.  We did not use words like sustainable, effectiveness, or viability.  We were just 12-year old girls, learning from Sister and a group of courageous women who lived in distressing conditions, trying to care as best as they could for their children, spouses, and even their extended families. 

Our group focused on nutrition, hygiene, immunization, and education.  For example, we taught women how to use locally available food items to prepare nutritious and balanced meals on a very small budget.  We found simple ways of explaining to people how immunization worked and why it was important.  We encouraged parents to send their kids to school daily. We helped women with financial literacy and discussed the disastrous impact of the exorbitantly high interest rate loans offered by the local money lenders.  These strong, authentic women, their powerful narratives, and their friendship taught me some very important life lessons - how to be resilient, how to remain positive in the face of adversity, and the importance of empathy and caring for one’s neighbors even under very difficult circumstances. I continued this work through college by volunteering at a local hospital and working at health camps, and at Purdue through my volunteer work in Haiti. As a family, we have continued to work with health care and education.  My husband, Tom, organizes and leads medical teams which provide health care in remote, underserved areas in Central and South America.  I have taught financial literacy classes in English Avenue. I am also part of a group that does microfinance lending in Haiti, focusing on developing sustainable economic opportunities for the local communities.

The connections between Serve-Learn-Sustain in my work and life have only become stronger over the years.   My research in economics focuses on international trade, immigration, foreign direct investment, concentrated poverty, neighborhood effects on schooling, impact of financial constraints on productivity, and banking.   My training in economics provides a valuable perspective in addressing some of the big, complex problems we face today, problems that often require interdisciplinary solutions.  The service and sustainability aspects of my work and life have their intellectual foundations in my research and training; equally important is the fact that they inform and enhance my research and my teaching.   For example, a recent paper on the impact of educational policies on location choices of illegal immigrants was motivated by my interactions with people from non-profit agencies with field experience. I am currently working with two highly motivated and engaged student groups at Georgia Tech on projects that further the SLS spirit.   One group is developing an app to train ESL volunteers for a refugee organization, and the other is working on an I2P project to provide educational funding and mentoring for students from families in India facing severe financial constraints.  Reflecting on my journey, I realize how those early experiences during my school and college days have come full circle, nurturing my continued interest and commitment to the ideas of Serve, Learn and Sustain.