Lucy Cavendish alumna shaping a more inclusive and empowering future for students.
This week, we’re proud to spotlight Dr Meena Mehta Kotecha, an alumna of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, who is making a real impact in higher education. As a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Meena is leading efforts to tackle mathematics anxiety—a challenge many students quietly face, especially in the social sciences.
Meena’s academic journey began in Mumbai, where she earned a degree in Philosophy and Psychology, followed by a Master's in Sociology. Originally planning to pursue a PhD in Sociology, she shifted towards studying mathematics with the Open University, where she earned First Class Honours.
That decision eventually brought her to Cambridge, where she completed her PhD at Lucy Cavendish College in 2022. Her research explored how maths anxiety affects students studying subjects like sociology, psychology, and politics—where statistics and research methods are often required. Following the completion of her PhD, Meena has become a true inspiration in her field.
Her PhD led to the development of a teaching intervention that helps reduce maths anxiety. It combines insights from psychology and sociology to make learning statistics more approachable, especially for students who don’t come from maths-heavy backgrounds.
She has also taught at LSE since 2006, delivering courses on quantitative methods and supervising student research. Her student-led teaching model—where students are actively involved in shaping how they learn—has won her three LSE Teaching Prizes and the title of LSE Innovator.
Meena has recently been invited to speak at two major events that reflect her growing influence in education.
In October 2023, she was part of a panel discussion titled “Maths Anxiety and Improving Resilience” at the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) 60th Anniversary celebration in London. The event explored how to support students emotionally as well as academically. You can watch the talk here.
Then, in March 2025, Meena spoke at the Oxford Women and Non-Binary People in Mathematics Day, organised by the University of Oxford. Her session sparked meaningful conversations with students, many of whom were inspired to learn more about her work. Its video recording is available here.
Alongside teaching and research, Meena is actively involved in shaping national education policy. She serves on the IMA London Branch Committee and the Royal Statistical Society Education Committee and has helped organise international conferences on maths education.
As a Lucy alumna, Meena continues to embody the College’s values: academic excellence, interdisciplinary thinking, and a commitment to inclusive, impactful education. Her work is helping universities across the UK think differently about how we teach maths—and how we support every student to succeed.
Whether she’s speaking at national conferences, designing interventions to reduce anxiety, or mentoring the next generation of researchers, Meena is making sure that learning statistics doesn’t have to be intimidating—it can be transformative.
Her work is a reminder that education should not only challenge the mind but support the whole person. And in doing so, it has the power to change lives.