Surili joined J-PAL in August 2011 to work on the Andhra Pradesh Smartcards project and the Bihar TPDS/Cash Transfer project. She graduated in 2011 with a degree in Economics and Political Science from The Ohio State University. During her undergraduate career, she worked on a Non-Formal Education Center project with Seva Mandir in Rajasthan and researched and worked on various education, health, and nutrition projects with Manav Sadhna in Gujarat. Her research interests include the role of public-private partnership models in community development, health and education policy, and women’s issues.