CECH Distinguished Alumni Awards and Scholarship Celebration

Parul Chandra '91, School of Education

Parul Chandra brings nearly four decades of distinguished experience to early childhood education as a child development specialist, educator, and researcher. Currently serving as Head Teacher at Stanford University's Bing Nursery School — one of the nation's top ten nursery programs — Ms. Chandra also holds a lectureship in Stanford's Psychology Department, where she teaches undergraduate courses in child development.

Ms. Chandra's career began in Delhi, India, where she established and coordinated a comprehensive preschool program at age 24. Inspired by her mother's 27-year tenure as an elementary educator, she developed expertise in curriculum development, program implementation, and educational administration before relocating to the United States at 26 to pursue graduate studies. She earned her master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Cincinnati and subsequently joined Bing Nursery School as both educator and researcher.

In her current role, Ms. Chandra leads a cohort of 5-year-old students while mentoring teaching staff and bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application. Her educational philosophy emphasizes collaborative environments that foster comprehensive child development across social, emotional, physical, and cognitive domains, with particular attention to building strong partnerships between educators and families.

Ms. Chandra presents regularly at national and international conferences on ECE pedagogy and curriculum. She provides professional development training across California and Washington, D.C., leads parent education programs, and co-authored The Gift of Time. She continues to mentor emerging professionals in the field while maintaining active research interests through Stanford's laboratory school environment.