I am senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to CFR, I served as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia during 2010–2013, covering all issues across a dynamic region of 1.3 billion people (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan), and providing policy direction and support for four U.S. embassies and four consulates. Trained originally as a cultural historian, I earned an AB from Harvard College and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicago, and have worked on India and South Asia in the nonprofit, government, and private sectors. I write about India and South Asia for CFR’s Asia program blog, Asia Unbound. Follow me on Twitter: @AyresAlyssa.