Originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Parshati moved to Canada in 2006 to pursue Astronomy and graduated in Hons. BSc in Astronomy & Physics from the University of Toronto in 2010. She received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Astronomy and Planetary Science and Exploration under the supervision of Dr. Aaron Sigut & Dr. John Landstreet from Western University. For her Ph.D., Parshati studied young, massive stars and the disks surrounding them. You can learn about her astrophysics research here! She has completed professional certification in Public Relations and Communications, Project Management as well as certification in Digital Communications and Innovation from Western University’s School of Continuing Studies. Parshati is a Certified Agile Project Manager.

Parshati developed a passion for STEM education and outreach and transitioned into the field of Science Communication. For over a decade, Parshati has shared her passion for space, fostering awareness among the masses, particularly youth. She accomplishes this by spearheading award winning space outreach initiatives, organizing educational public events, delivering invited talks and contributing regularly to the media both in-person and online. You can learn about her Public Engagement and Outreach here!

Previously, she has worked as Educational Outreach and Communications Specialist at the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University and as a Program Designer and Education Advisor with the Youth STEM Initiatives team at the Canadian Space Agency (through the InterChange Canada program).

Dr. Patel is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University. Parshati has conducted research in the Faculty of Education to understand and gauge the engagement of the participants as well as their outlook on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers and interest in STEM fields, you can learn more about her research here!

In addition to consulting for science books, she also recently authored a children’s book called ‘My Books of Stars and Planets’. Parshati often talks about her experience as a woman of colour venturing into the field of astronomy and barriers she had to overcome as an international student in the hopes to help others. She has co-founded Women of Color in STEAMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Medicine) Canada in 2018. She co-founded Professional Managerial Association’s BIPOC Network in 2020 and co-chaired it until 2023. She is also currently on the Board of Advisors for SEDS-Canada and Zenith Pathways.

She has recently fallen in love with photography and often spends her time learning new techniques and experimenting with her camera. You can check out some of her shots in the gallery here. She often dabbles into her teenage years’ passion, painting and has recently started working on a nature and space themed collection. You can find about her artwork here!