Professional Profile
I am an anthropologist with 10+ years of experience conducting independent and collaborative ethnographic research in Asia and the U.S. I use qualitative methods to generate a deep understanding of context, experience, and people. Seasoned at analyzing large data sets, I enjoy identifying patterns in human behavior that tell actionable stories about people’s habits, values, and desires. I thrive in cross-cultural, cross-functional teams, while also offering perspectives grounded in anthropological expertise.
For more than a decade, my research has been driven by my passion for studying language and culture in South Asia. I have conducted linguistic and ethnographic research on: how second generation South Asian social workers in Queen, NY use humor to craft identity; how social media users in India debate the relationship between culture and violence online; how women in rural India use diverse languages to access social services; and how colonial language surveys in British India have shaped contemporary understandings of language, race, caste, and identity. View my academic CV here.
Expertise
Research Design | Ethnography | Interviewing | Qualitative Data Analysis | Surveys | Literature Reviews | Grounded Theory | Multimedia Research | Focus Groups
Skills
Research Presentations | End-to-End Experience Research | Qualitative Coding | Designing Slide Decks | Communicating Findings | Data Visualization | Video Ethnography | Photography | Research Documentation | ELAN | NVivo | Inqscribe | LaTeX | Final Cut Pro | Adobe CC
Professional Experience
Lead Researcher, Customer and Market Insights | Collective Health | June 2024 - present
Experience Research & Strategy Director | Elevance Health | February 2023 - present
Lead consumer research projects for product and service design
Create, execute, and maintain research operating model
Socialize research to senior executives to communicate the value of design
Senior UX Researcher | Elevance Health, via Ascendum Solutions | August 2022 - present
Human Experience (HX) research lead on end-to-end projects that align business goals with consumer values using human-centered design
Provide strategic leadership in building HCD capacities, practices, and resources across multiple stakeholder groups
Collaborate cross-functionally with strategists, designers, and business stakeholders to generate concepts that address consumer pain points across their journey
Leverage insights from primary and secondary user research through in depth interviews, surveys, focus groups, diary studies, and more
Translate research insights into tangible recommendations that drive business impact across multiple lines of business and areas of focus
UX Researcher | Hack for LA | May - October 2022
Conducted foundational research informing the development of a design system for all Hack for LA projects
Collaborated across cross-functional team of UX Researchers, Designers, Writers, and PM to deliver insights for product development
Performed qualitative analysis and coding of interviews and usability studies in Figma
Synthesized findings into actionable recommendations
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology | Rollins College | July 2021 - July 2022
Designed and taught 6 courses specializing in in ethnographic research methods, qualitative data analysis, coding, interviewing, and discourse analysis to 120+ anthropology students
Oversaw 100+ short-term research projects on language and culture and trained students to craft clear and compelling stories about results
Mentored senior anthropology student through successful applications for Fulbright Scholarship and Critical Language Scholarship
PhD Researcher | Univeristy of California, Los Angeles | Sept 2014 - June 2021
Conducted ethnographic study on the impact of multilingualism on community access to development services in India
Performed semi-structured and open-ended interviews with 100+ research participants and collected and analyzed 130+ hours of video ethnography
Trained and managed two full-time research assistants
Received over $150,000 in competitive national and intramural funding from Social Science Research Council, Wenner-Gren Foundation, Fulbright Program, Critical Language Scholarship, UCLA Affiliates Scholarship, UCLA International Institute, and UCLA Anthropology Department.
Published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and presented results at 13 conferences in the U.S. and abroad
Received international award for best graduate research in 2020 from Society for Linguistic Anthropology
Received Charles E. and Sue K. Young Graduate Award for outstanding research, teaching, and service to the university by UCLA Graduate Division in 2017.
Graduate Research Assistant | University of California, Los Angeles | Jan 2015 - July 2017
Transcribed and analyzed qualitative and linguistic data from Dr. Duranti’s research on language and politics
Synthesized and organized Dr. Duranti’s teaching materials for courses on phenomenology and linguistic anthropology
Trained and mentored Dr. Duranti’s undergraduate research assistant
Writing Consultant and Fellowship Specialist | UCLA Graduate Writing Center | Sept 2019 - June 2021
Provided one-on-one insights for clients on how to conceptualize, craft, and revise proposals for nationally competitive research grants and fellowships, theses and dissertations, personal statements, and job applications.
Clients have been awarded funding from the Ford Foundation, Fulbright Program, and Wenner-Gren Foundation, among others.
Teaching Associate and Instructor of Record | UCLA Department of Anthropology | Sept 2015 - Aug 2020
Designed and taught course Language and Identity in Summer 2020 through synchronous online learning with 17 students
Led discussion sections with 200+ undergraduates over four quarters.
Trained 75+ students in conducting independent ethnographic research projects.
Volunteer Experience
Co-Founder, Researcher, and Web Designer | India and U.S. |Dec 2017 - present
Co-founded collective of researchers, activists, and academics committed to advancing language justice in social movement spaces in India
Secured funding to create applied research and training modules on multilingual solidarity interpreting in India from U.S. State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Development Fund
Conducted background research on multilingualism in India and wrote policy reports and resources on interpreting in India for training website
Designed website providing training resources for solidarity interpreters working in grassroots, cross-movement, multilingual organizations in India
Ethnographer and Filmmaker | Jagori Rural Charitable Trust, Dharamshala, India | Oct 2017 - June 2021
Conducted ethnographic interviews with social workers, women, and adolescent girls on their experiences with empowerment initiatives
Wrote project reports documenting evidence of program progress
Produced two ethnographic films documenting participant experiences used to communicate project success to stakeholders
Built relationships across teams of fieldworkers, managers, community partners, and project participants
Research Intern | Center for Social Research, New Delhi | Aug - Sept 2015
Contributed to Facebook-funded project “Social Surfing” on online safety and privacy in India
Wrote policy analysis on violence against women in online spaces in India for public resource blog, Gender Matters
Created presentations of research findings and delivered results to audiences of 200+ stakeholders from colleges in New Delhi
Research Intern and Case Aide | Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans | June - Dec 2011
Conducted six-month ethnographic study of second-generation Asian-American social workers using participant observation, qualitative interviews, and analysis of everyday interaction.
Observed and analyzed in-office interactions, home visits to clients, and office meetings to understand how social workers conceptualized their identity vis-a-vis their clients from similar backgrounds.
Contributed to case documentation and project reporting.
Authored research thesis and presented based on findings on the importance of humor and satire as resources for identity construction amidst stressful working conditions.
Education
PhD, Anthropology | 2021
University of California, Los Angeles
MPhil, Social Anthropology | 2014
University of Cambridge
BA, Anthropology and Linguistics | 2012
New York University
Languages
English | native
Hindi | full working proficiency
Urdu | full working proficiency
Punjabi | limited working proficiency