ABOUT ME
I am currently a PhD candidate in sociology and a part-time instructor at Brown University. My dissertation research (funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation) is an ethnographic examination of the social processes that shape the implementation of urban housing policies in Bangalore, India.
I have over seven years of experience working on large-scale quantitative and qualitative research initiatives. During my time as a Ph.D. candidate I have used my research training—both independently and collaboratively—to investigate complex social issues like gender inequality, housing and social inclusion, and sustainable urban development. My breadth of research experience is complimented by my depth of knowledge about urban systems, urban design, and urban politics. I have worked on several research and consulting initiatives that attempt to understand and address pressing challenges facing contemporary global cities.
I am extremely passionate about applying my extensive research and data analysis skills to better understand social problems and to design more innovative solutions. In this vein, I have served as a research consultant for urban innovation teams, I have led sessions on human-centered design for social entrepreneurs in India, and have designed and taught several undergraduate courses on social impact.
Recently, my work on applied policy research and city-university collaborations was featured by the Sunlight Foundation as a model for the What Works Cities program. My collaborators and I have drafted three articles on our process for the Huffington Post, which can be found here, here, and here.
I love stories and storytelling. I have created and led two courses on applied storytelling and storytelling and leadership (Summer 2016).
