Piya Sorcar (born 1977) is an American social entrepreneur and
researcher. She is the founder and CEO of TeachAIDS, and is a lecturer
at Stanford University.Sorcar was born in Colorado, the eldest
daughter of artist and engineer Manick Sorcar and Shikha Sorcar, and
the granddaughter of the pre-eminent magician P. C. Sorcar and Basanti
Devi. As a child actor, she was nominated for a regional Emmy Award
for her performance in the short film Deepa & Rupa: A Fairy Tale from
India, directed by her father, which went on to win at the Chicago
International Film Festival.She began the development of TeachAIDS at
Stanford, where it was the focus of her doctoral research. In 2009,
she founded it as a nonprofit partnered with the university. She was
quoted saying that "Working with a team of interdisciplinary experts
at Stanford University, I conducted extensive research over 5+ years
to develop an innovative approach to teaching about HIV education
which would bypass taboos and maximize learning and retention."This
included using 2D cartoon images (which balance clarity and comfort),
a rigorous, research-based translation/back-translation process,
incorporation of mnemonic devices, and integration of recognized
voices of regionally-specific cultural icons, among other discoveries.
She has led TeachAIDS to produce many versions of its interactive HIV
prevention software, which are now used in more than 80 countries. Her
work has included directing Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana
Azmi, Shruti Haasan, Amol Palekar, Imran Khan, and Akkineni Nagarjuna.
researcher. She is the founder and CEO of TeachAIDS, and is a lecturer
at Stanford University.Sorcar was born in Colorado, the eldest
daughter of artist and engineer Manick Sorcar and Shikha Sorcar, and
the granddaughter of the pre-eminent magician P. C. Sorcar and Basanti
Devi. As a child actor, she was nominated for a regional Emmy Award
for her performance in the short film Deepa & Rupa: A Fairy Tale from
India, directed by her father, which went on to win at the Chicago
International Film Festival.She began the development of TeachAIDS at
Stanford, where it was the focus of her doctoral research. In 2009,
she founded it as a nonprofit partnered with the university. She was
quoted saying that "Working with a team of interdisciplinary experts
at Stanford University, I conducted extensive research over 5+ years
to develop an innovative approach to teaching about HIV education
which would bypass taboos and maximize learning and retention."This
included using 2D cartoon images (which balance clarity and comfort),
a rigorous, research-based translation/back-translation process,
incorporation of mnemonic devices, and integration of recognized
voices of regionally-specific cultural icons, among other discoveries.
She has led TeachAIDS to produce many versions of its interactive HIV
prevention software, which are now used in more than 80 countries. Her
work has included directing Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana
Azmi, Shruti Haasan, Amol Palekar, Imran Khan, and Akkineni Nagarjuna.
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