Nitya Chanana

Nitya Chanana is a program management professional with extensive experience in international program and project leadership, research implementation and coordination, and stakeholder engagement within the climate, clean energy, and sustainable transportation sectors. She serves as the Program Manager for the Global South Center as well as the Europe Center at the Institute of Transportation at the University of California, Davis, where she supports the implementation and strategic coordination of cross-regional initiatives aimed at advancing zero-emission transportation and policy solutions.

Prior to joining UC Davis, Nitya held leadership roles managing global research programs with international research organizations, focusing on institutional strategy, coordination of interdisciplinary research, and design and implementation of gender and social inclusion approaches into climate and development projects. She has contributed to numerous publications and presented research findings at multiple international forums, drawing on over a decade of experience working across South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and South America, supporting interdisciplinary teams, strengthening research quality, and ensuring that project outcomes effectively inform policy and practice.