Election statement: I am an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Maynooth University in Ireland. Drawing on the perspectives of anthropological political economy and political ecology, my research focuses principally on the contemporary United States, South Asia and the South Asian diaspora.
While serving as EASA Vice-President (2021-2023), I was part of the Executive’s ‘Emerging Issues’ working group with Cris Shore and Chowra Makaremi, dealing specifically with issues of academic freedom and human rights. I have been actively involved since 2009 with Scholars at Risk (SAR), an organisation committed to protecting academic freedom globally. I was one of the Maynooth academics whose efforts established Maynooth University as the host institution for SAR – Europe. I served as one of the two Human Rights Seats at the American Anthropological Association’s Members’ Programmatic, Advisory and Advocacy Committee (MPAAC) in 2021-23, and previously, in 2020-21, as MPAAC’s Human Rights Liaison. I am also a former Chair of the World Council of Anthropological Associations (2016-18).