Nirmala Fernandes directs the Academic Affairs office and serves as one of the academic advisors for McCourt School students.

Originally from India, Nirmala arrived in the US as an international student and has since worked in the field of Higher Education for over twenty years. She has earned a Master's degree in English Literature and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Competitive Strategy, both from the University of Rochester. She has previously provided academic advising for graduate programs in Business and Finance at American University. She has taught courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels in Academic Planning and Peer Leadership at the University of Rochester and at the Kogod School of Business at American University. Nirmala considers the best part of her job to be conversations with students. She enjoys helping students find elective courses that shape their degrees to their individual needs.

(Pronouns: she/her/hers)