Professors reflect on adventures of motherhood, teaching

Faculty moms share thoughts on finding balance as they celebrate Mother’s Day

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Global professors Danielle Hadeed de Silva and Shaila Rana know what it’s like to balance family, work and their teaching careers.

Hadeed de Silva, a professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Rana, a professor in the School of Business and Information Technology, can be found pursuing that balance daily.

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This Mother’s Day, Hadeed de Silva and Rana share their thoughts on how their academic work not only helps other working adults who are seeking personal balance, but also how it inspires their own children.

‘Motherhood, like teaching, is both rewarding and challenging’

Danielle Hadeed de Silva, a psychology professor at Purdue Global, enjoys time with her family. Hadeed de Silva says being in the moment is one of the best ways to find balance, especially this Mother’s Day. (Photo provided by Danielle Hadeed de Silva) Download image

Hadeed de Silva, a practicing psychologist who lives in South Florida, believes finding balance means being fully present — whether with the children and family or online with students.

It’s advice that she shares with her students, many of whom are also parents.

At the start of the semester, Hadeed de Silva acknowledges the students in her Foundations of Professional Psychology, Ethics for Addictions Professionals, and Lifespan Development courses who are also caregivers, which they no doubt appreciate.

“I let them know that I understand that life happens. Kids and elderly parents get sick; work can be stressful,” Hadeed de Silva said. “I encourage them to reach out to me if they are facing challenges and need a little extra support. Sometimes all a student needs is a little grace, compassion and extra time, which can make all the difference.”

Hadeed de Silva is continually inspired by both her children and her students. Her biggest takeaway? Becoming more patient and seeing how people learn differently, especially as she serves as her children’s learning coach for virtual school. She says the Purdue Global students have taught her about resilience, which includes addressing challenges, changing course and creating one’s best life.

Networking with other faculty parents helps as well. Hadeed de Silva, who authored “Mama, Find Your Power,” said having solid relationships with peers and academic leaders who can share issues they face in the online classroom as well as how to manage personal stress and family issues is invaluable.

“Motherhood, like teaching, is both rewarding and challenging. But I would not give up either experience for anything. I learn from, and am inspired by, my children and my students, and I feel so humbled to be able to be part of their lives and futures,” she said.

She inspires her children daily by assisting them and demonstrating the importance of giving back and helping others.

“I think being a professor demonstrates to my children how important education is. I also would like to think I’m a role model for my children and that what I have achieved in my career serves as inspiration for them to dream big,” Hadeed de Silva said.

Hadeed de Silva looks forward to a low-key Mother’s Day enjoying time with her mother and aunt, as well as the annual ritual of her children making and delivering breakfast and homemade cards, with her husband’s assistance.

“Those are the best presents ever, and I always look forward to receiving them,” she said.

‘It can be a juggling act’

Shaila Rana, an AI and cybersecurity professor at Purdue Global, says working with adults who have children has shaped her teaching approach and methods, especially increasing her empathy. (Photo provided by Shaila Rana) Download image

Rana, an AI and cybersecurity expert who lives near San Francisco, appreciates the demands of academia and motherhood, as well as the additional support she has received from her colleagues.

At times she is working on cybersecurity and software quality lesson plans or research, and her son will sit next to her and color or do his homework while her daughter crawls across the home office. Like Hadeed de Silva, she is grateful her husband can step in and redirect the children when necessary.

But for her, the joy comes in seeing how her children take an interest in chatting with her colleagues, especially her research partner, Rhonda Chicone. Rana appreciates the support Chicone and others have provided, including talking with the children regularly.

“These connections provide invaluable support as I navigate the intricacies of parenthood and academia together,” Rana said.

Teaching working adults who have children has shaped Rana’s approach and methods, especially increasing her empathy.

 “This shared camaraderie fosters a supportive atmosphere where we can all navigate our busy lives together,” Rana said. “I totally understand that things happen — because they happen to me, too.”

Rana strives to create an environment where her students feel supported, providing guidance and understanding as they navigate their own challenges.

“The hard work I see in my students to make a difference in their families’ lives pushes me forward every day,” she said. “I was also a student and doing my doctorate when I had my first child. I remember the struggle, and I am continually impressed by the hard work and perseverance I see in my students. It teaches me every day how to be a better professor and mother.”

Rana said balancing the demands of academia and motherhood is challenging.

“It can be a juggling act, managing the pursuits of academia alongside the diverse needs of my family. I have two young children that are dependent upon me, so toggling between deep thinking and the immediate demands of parenthood has been a learning experience.”

But she knows that other parents are facing the same challenges — complete with small victories.

“Witnessing the growth of both my children and my students is undeniably the most rewarding aspect of my dual role,” Rana said. “Every day, I am enriched by the insights and developments I observe in both spheres. It fosters both a sense of fulfillment and intellectual stimulation.”

Rana and her family will be traveling for Mother’s Day, spending time outside and having fun together — something she hopes the children will remember.

“I want them to grow up seeing what it is like to work hard and work towards something. I hope I can also instill the love of learning as my children continue to grow older,” she said.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu. 

Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, oatesw@purdue.edu, 765-496-6160, @mo_oates

Sources: Danielle Hadeed de Silva, Shaila Rana