Ramla Wahab-Salman, Executive Director
Ramla manages programming, library services, digital humanities projects and the administration of AILS Colombo.
She is a researcher in History with interests in global image archives and urban history. Ramla is a film archival producer and TEDx speaker.
She holds a B.A. (Hons.) History from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi and M.A. History (South Asia) from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
Amali Wijesundara, Finance and Administration Manager
Amali manages AILS finances and takes a leading role in other administrative matters. She is in charge of the language instruction programme.
She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and has worked and gained more than 30 years experience in the field of Finance in top corporates covering many industries in Sri Lanka.
Nihara De Alwis, Senior Programming Officer
Nihara De Alwis holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Studies with minors in Sociology and Economics from the University of Colombo. She has worked as an interdisciplinary researcher for over three years and contributed to various projects and publications. Her research interests include psychology, linguistics and the intersection of language and culture.
Dorina Punniyamoorthy, Administrative Officer
Dorina assists with administrative work at AILS Colombo.
Her research interests include comparative politics, South Asian political culture and the state of democratic and public institutions in South Asia.
She holds a BA (Hons) and MA in Political Science from the University of Peradeniya. She has also served as a visiting lecturer at the Department of Social Science at the Open University of Sri Lanka.
Nanduni Shashipaba, Library Officer
Nanduni holds a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Colombo. Her interests include environmental studies, demography, and Japanese language and culture.
Dinithi Rathnayake, Programming Officer
Dinithi assists with digital humanities initiatives at AILS Colombo and supports various academic and administrative programs. She holds a BA (Hons) in English from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda. Her research interests include Postcolonial Studies, Translation Studies, Postmodern Theatre, and Digital Humanities.
Sasindi Fernando, Intern
Sasindi is an intern at AILS Colombo. She studied at Colombo International School Kandy. Her interests include the colonial and post-colonial history of South Asia, contemporary geopolitics, international relations and political science.
John Rogers, United States Director, AISLS
John handles AISLS operations in the United States, and he oversees the relationship between AISLS and AILS. He is based in Massachusetts, but he spends two to three months each year in Colombo.
He holds a Ph.D. in History from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and has research interests in the social and legal history of South Asia and Sri Lanka. He has also taught at Tufts University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and Northeastern University.
