Pardhasaradhi Namburi ’26: Serving the Public with AI and Empathy

Whether developing nonprofit technology, applying AI governance, or designing new approaches to civic engagement, Pardhasaradhi (“Pardhu”) Namburi, MPPA ’26, is motivated by the same question: How can technology increase empathy and strengthen communities?

Northwestern’s MA in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) helped him connect those interests and transform them into a clear mission, ultimately showing the possibility of expanding AI into public policy.

From a Hindu Monastery to a Northwestern Master’s Program

Growing up in Mason, Ohio, Namburi says he was known as a “class clown” who hated the formal structure of school. But he had a knack for technology and would spend hours taking apart electronics and helping others with tech problems.

While still in high school, Namburi became involved with the humanitarian work of notable Hindu spiritual leader HH Chinna Jeeyar. This life-changing experience eventually took him to India, where he studied Sanskrit, ethics, and public service. There, he observed how “technology and social media could influence the universal human virtues taught by my spiritual master at the time,” he says—an early indication of the path he would later pursue.

While immersed in monastic study, Namburi continued exploring technology’s potential for social change. He founded Online Impacts, a nonprofit organization that provides free website development and hosting to mission-driven organizations.  

“I really wanted to become a monk,” Namburi says. “I got deep into the philosophy of it and dreamed of applying its teachings to help communities. “But my thinking started expanding to include all belief systems, which share positive universal human virtues.”

After deciding not to pursue monastic life, Namburi chose graduate school, ultimately founding a nonprofit, Joyful Rise, and training to become a life coach to unite people based on positive virtues.

Reinventing, Not Starting Over: Why Northwestern SPS Was the Best Fit

Namburi initially enrolled in Northwestern’s MS in Information Systems program, believing tech entrepreneurship offered the best opportunity to maximize positive social impact. But he already had strong tech and data skills and his humanitarian interests remained strong. So, he shifted to Northwestern's MA in Public Policy and Administration, where he could combine his tech skills with social policy. He specialized in Public Administration, one of five degree specializations Northwestern offers.

“I chose Northwestern because of the university’s reputation for great teaching but also the flexibility,” he says. “To me, my experiences seemed all over the place. I was uncertain if or when I would finish. The program gave me multiple specializations, five years to complete my degree, and part-time, online learning options.”

Namburi discovered that Northwestern offered more than flexibility. It also gave him the support and knowledge to help him launch his ideas into concrete plans.

“The MPPA faculty members are just amazing people; they're very selfless, and they really care,” says Namburi. “Professor Mollie Foust’s Foundations of the Nonprofits/NGO Sector course helped me grow and learn the intricacies of nonprofit administration. She even made sure students who came straight from work had snacks to eat before class.”

In addition, MPPA Faculty Director Sara Friedman’s Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis course challenged Namburi to think beyond traditional data science applications. Drawing on concepts from class, he developed a proposal for a digital civic engagement platform designed to help residents make more informed decisions about local policy by providing nonpartisan information and transparent evaluation of outcomes. He later expanded those ideas in his completed MPPA capstone project, which explored accountability, ethics, and bottom-up leadership in municipal government. He has since shared the concept with municipal leaders—and he may even run for mayor one day.

“I was so inspired by Dr. Friedman,” he says. “She really cares about how students engage with the community and how they learn. She has a unique method of using weekly ‘snapshots’—quick one-minute presentations on the readings that are more interactive than traditional discussion or lectures.”

Building a New Network and Leadership Skills

For many adult students, career change can mean finding a new network and mentors or developing leadership skills they didn’t need during prior experiences.

As he explored technology's role in public life, Namburi found mentors who encouraged him to keep developing his ideas beyond the classroom. MPPA faculty members offered feedback on his projects, and Northwestern relationships extended into collaborations outside the university. For example, Namburi joined as a fractional CTO of the coach training firm Coacharya through CEO Pranav Ramanathan, one of his mentors in the Northwestern network. Another Northwestern mentor, CFO Randall Odzer, serves on the nonprofit tech organization Joyful Rise, which Namburi founded. "The people I met became collaborators, mentors and friends,” he says.

Extracurricular leadership opportunities proved just as valuable for Namburi. Through leadership roles as Co-President of the Northwestern AI Safety and Governance group and VP of Operations for the MPPA Student Leadership Council, Namburi built relationships and community with classmates, faculty, and professionals who continue to shape his work and help him test out ideas.

Translating Dreams into Public Impact with AI

Today, Namburi continues to explore the intersection of technology, well-being, and public service through Joyful Rise, the nonprofit he founded and leads. Joyful Rise develops AI-assisted platforms that encourage character development and universal human virtues such as compassion, empathy, and kindness. It’s a project that is “giving him his wings” and which he feels is closest to his heart.

Looking back, Namburi says the MPPA program helped him see technology as a means and not an end.

"Figure out what you really want to do that benefits society," he says. "Then work backward. It's not just about wanting to use AI. It's about asking whether AI helps you achieve your goal. We can choose to make the world a better place with kindness, and technology may be able to help us.”

Northwestern University School of Professional Studies offers many degree and certificate programs, with evening and online options available. To learn more about how Northwestern University's Master's in Public Policy and Administration program prepares graduates to advance their public policy careers, fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you soon.