Andhra To America: Usha Chilukuri Vance Comes From A Family Of Prolific Academics

President-elect Donald Trump won't be the only one thrust into the spotlight after he and running mate Vice President-elect JD Vance are sworn in on Monday, January 20. Usha Vance, soon-to-be second lady, will also be along for the ride. Usha Chilukuri Vance has been the talk of the town lately, as her husband, Ohio Senator J D Vance, was nominated as Donald Trump's Vice President candidate for the United States election. 

The Indian-origin litigator, who reportedly stepped away from her high-profile career ahead of the polls, has made numerous public appearances at Republican conventions and gatherings. She evidently takes her role as her husband's "biggest supporter" pretty seriously, as she can often be seen with her eyes glued on the ambitious politician or making heartwarming speeches as she exemplifies his family-oriented, reliable image. The couple's three children will be among those in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony in Washington, DC.

Chilukuri-Vance and J D Vance got married in 2014. She often muses about his remarkable adaptability, noting how seamlessly he embraced her Indian origin and Hindu culture. She grew up in San Diego in a Telugu-speaking family that immigrated from a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.

JD Vance's 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy described his wife as his "spirit guide" who bailed him out at a fancy dinner by secretly advising him on the right cutlery to use and reminded him that “every perceived slight is not cause for a blood feud.”

All About Usha Chilukuri Vance's Family

Litigator Usha Chilukuri Vance belongs to a family that boasts prolific and diverse careers. She is the daughter of Chilukuri Radhakrishna and Lakshmi, who moved to the US in 1980. Usha's mother is a marine molecular biologist and biochemist, and Provost of Sixth College at the University of California.

Usha Vance is hugely impressive. Mother of three, top litigator, clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, future Second Lady.

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— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) July 18, 2024

Her father is an Aerospace Engineering lecturer at San Diego State University. Her uncle, the late Chilukuri Subramanya Sastry, was a gold medallist in BA (Telugu) and a professor at Andhra University (AU). He served as the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the Andhra Pradesh unit.

Usha's great-aunt, Shanthamma Chilukuri is also a Physics gold medallist and a distinguished educationist in Vishakapatnam. At the age of 96, she continues to travel about 140 kilometres to conduct classes and is celebrated as the country's oldest active professor, according to Reuters.

Speaking to Reuters, Usha's great-aunt noted, "Most of our family is academically strong and education has been a top priority." In an interview with Indian Express, she noted, "I came to know several years ago that she was married to a well-known political leader in the US… It is no wonder that she is a super achiever. Our entire family excels in academics."