Overview
Suraj Kushwaha is PhD student in the Anthropology Department. His research explores the materiality of rocks and landslides in India's western Himalaya to understand the intricate relationships between labor, migration, and environmental change. He is interested in mountain commodity chains, infrastructure, and the hidden labor of repair that facilitates access to difficult-to-reach places. He has lived and studied across India for three years, most recently on a Fulbright scholarship in Himachal Pradesh and earlier for intensive language study in Hindi, Urdu, and Sanskrit on other fellowship programs. Suraj completed a self-designed undergraduate degree in postcolonial environmental studies at Princeton University, with a focus on South Asian history. He is also a rock climbing guide and works with organizations in India to train aspiring climbers in advanced techniques and establish new routes in all climbing disciplines. His love for mountains causes him to gravitate toward remote, vertical environments near and far.