Biography

I graduated with an anthropology degree from the University of Chicago armed with a background in social justice and sensitivity to how policies often exclude the most vulnerable people. I’ve spent the last five years learning how this is particularly acute in climate and environmental monitoring programs. I’ve worked at the science-policy interface at both the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Center for Space Policy and Strategy. While earth observation satellites and vast data systems can enable better insights at the planetary level, they often miss realities on the ground. Wanting to critically examine how the science-policy interface and our digital data infrastructures impact local communities, I came to the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge to conduct ethnographic and science and technology studies (STS) research at the world’s “third pole” in the Himalayas. Like the polar regions, the Himalayas must also grapple with consequences of a melting cryosphere, while managing a microcosm of considerable ecological and cultural diversity. Through my research, I aim to shed light on culturally embedded notions of science and technology and how they can translate into better climate policies.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge Polar Studies 2021
University of Chicago Anthropology 2012