Daya Singh Sandhu

Professor Educational & Counseling Psychology, Counseling, and College Student Personnel
College of Education & Human Development

There are only about 25 people across the world each year who can call themselves a “Jewel of India.” One of them, Daya Singh Sandhu, can also be considered a jewel among UofL’s faculty. Sandhu, a professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Counseling and College Student Personnel at the College of Education and Human Development, received the 2014 Hind Rattan Award in January at a gala held in New Delhi. The award, which means “Jewel of India,” is given annually by the NRI Indian Welfare Society, an organization under the umbrella of the Government of India, to select elite professionals from Indian diaspora of more than 27 million non-Indian residents from all around the world who have made exceptional contributions to India and countries of residence through outstanding services and achievements to raise the flag of Indian pride high.
With his expertise in mental health counseling, Sandhu has certainly given back to the country. In 2010, he established India’s first nationwide association for mental health counselors. He has been a strong proponent for mental health counseling to address the high suicide rate in India, and he has established counseling programs at Indian colleges.