With 95+ invited talks, 300+ events and 115+ media interviews, Parshati is a sought-after storyteller, and for over a decade, she has shared her passion for space, fostering awareness among the public, particularly youth. She accomplishes this by spearheading award-winning space outreach initiatives, organizing educational public events, training educators and the next generation, delivering invited talks and contributing regularly to the media.

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.

She has a professional certification in Public Relations and Communications and 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. Previously, she has worked as an Educational Outreach and Communications Specialist at the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University, leading their public outreach, education and communications, and as a Program Designer and Education Advisor in the Youth STEM Initiatives team at the Canadian Space Agency (through the InterChange Canada program). Currently, Parshati works as a freelance professional, bringing her expertise to a wide range of organizations and audiences.

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.

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 the barriers she had to overcome as an international student in the hopes of helping others. She co-founded Women of Color in STEAMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Medicine) Canada in 2018. She co-founded the 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. She often dabbles into her teenage years’ passion - painting - and has recently started working on a nature and space-themed collection through her small business, Stellar Dreams Art.