Priya Sundareshan is an American attorney and politician who is a member of the Arizona Senate from the

18th 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...

district. She assumed office on January 9, 2023.

Education

Sundareshan earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(M.I.T.) in 2006. In 2011 Sundareshan earned both a Juris Doctor from the

University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is the law school at the University of Arizona located in Tucson, Arizona and was the first law school founded in the State of Arizona, opening its doors in 1915. Also known as University of Ar ...

, as well as

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

in natural resource economics also from the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

Career

In addition to holding elected office, Sundareshan serves as the Director of Natural Resource Use and Management Clinic at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Previously, she worked as an attorney for the

Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and hu ...

from 2015 to 2019, and additionally as an associate attorney at the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from 2012 to 2015. Sundareshan also worked as an analyst for

PA Consulting Group PA Consulting Group (formerly Personnel Administration) is a professional services firm that works with public, private and third-sector organisations. It was founded in 1943 by Ernest E. Butten, Tom H. Kirkham and Dr David Seymour, who used a n ...

Cambridge, MA Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...

from 2006 to 2008.

2022 Arizona Senate election

Due to the redistricting of Arizona legislative districts resulting from the 2020 census, the 18th legislative district was relocated from the

Phoenix metropolitan area The Phoenix Metropolitan Area – also the Valley of the Sun, the Salt River Valley, or Metro Phoenix (known by most locals simply as “the Valley”) – is the largest metropolitan area in the Southwestern United States, centered on the city ...

- where it had been represented by Arizona Senator Sean Bowie - to the

Tucson metropolitan area , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, becoming an open seat. Sundareshan faced off against Arizona Legislator Morgan Abraham in the Democratic primary, defeating him 55.6% to 44.4%. Sundareshan defeated Republican former

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

employee Stan Caine in the general election.

Electoral history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sundareshan, Priya 21st-century American politicians Politicians from Tucson, Arizona Living people Democratic Party Arizona state senators Arizona lawyers Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni University of Arizona alumni James E. Rogers College of Law alumni University of Arizona faculty 1980s births 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American lawyers