Roopali Phadke joined the Harvard STS program as a National Science Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow. Roopali’s research is at the nexus of environmental studies, international development and science and technology studies. Her current research focuses on the private and public development of water resources in South Asia. Within STS, her interests lie in the democratization of science and technology decision-making and the hybridization of technical expertise and local knowledge in development administration. She currently works as a Professor of Environmental Policy at Macalester College. She is also concerned with the use of participatory research methodologies and documentary filmmaking. Roopali’s PhD is in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her dissertation examined how People’s Science Movements in the Krishna Valley of India have fostered the equitable distribution of water and alternative designs for large dam development. This research has been funded by the University of California, the National Science Foundation, the International Water Management Institute and the American Institute for India Studies. Roopali holds a BA from Wellesley College in Political Science and a MA from Cornell University in South Asian Studies. In addition to her academic service, she has worked for several NGOs, including the National Wildlife Federation and Cultural Survival.

Publications

“People’s Science in Action: Participatory Watershed Mapping in India”. (Under revision for Society and Natural Resources) 2002.

“The Dreams of a Water Warrior,” Seminar Vol. 516: (31-34). 2002.

“Assessing Water Scarcity and Watershed Development in Maharashtra, India: A Case Study of the Baliraja Memorial Dam,” in Science, Technology and Human Values, Vol. 27: 2 (236-261). 1999.

Dams, Displacement and Community Reconstruction: An Annotated Bibliography and Reference Guide. Berkeley: Institute of International Studies, University of California.