About
I am an interdisciplinary environmental researcher currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California San Diego.
Through partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities,I study how they understand, interact with, and manage their landscapes - what knowledge systems, worldview, practices, and ontologies guide their interactions and associations with local ecosystems.
Using qualitative research methods, mapping, and multidisciplinary-centred collaborations, I study histories of oppression, colonialism, erasure of traditional knowledge systems, and governance models and how they have significantly impacted the way ecosystems are currently characterized, measured, and managed.
I critically examine the underlying biodiversity conservation and land management approaches and policies to identify ways to build sustainable, and ethical environmental management practices.
Education:
Ph.D. Resources Environment and Sustainability (2022)
University of British Columbia, Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability
MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation (2010) | Commonwealth Scholar
London School of Economics and Political Science
MSc Environmental Biology (2009) | First rank holder
University of Delhi
BSc Zoology (2007) | First rank holder
University of Kerala
To this research, I bring my extensive work experience in South Asia, including working with federal agencies, international development organizations, and NGOs including my role as an advisor to the Indo-German Biodiversity program in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (India) and German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
I am a co-founder of the UBC's Collective for Gender+ in Research,which brings together a community of scholars interested in integrating gender+ in their research lifecycle.
As an artist, National Geographic Young Explorer, and documentarian with a strong interest in public scholarship, and storytelling I am always on a lookout for novel ways of communicating research.