M Winters, MA Candidate in South Asian Studies
Where did you grow up?
Upstate New York and the UK.
What drew you to your field?
The desire to work on interdisciplinary scholarship related to the impacts of climate change.
How would you explain your current research to someone outside of your field?
My research explores the impact of colonial science and infrastructure on the changing livelihoods of agricultural communities in southwest Bangladesh.
What do you like most about being a student at Columbia GSAS?
Being challenged to grow as a scholar by my professors and peers alike, being able to be open as a non-binary student, and being in an environment that encourages me to be actively involved in initiatives to help make the university more inclusive.
What resources or opportunities that Columbia provides have been most valuable to you?
Independent studies with incredible professors have been my most rewarding and enriching experiences.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting a Columbia Arts and Sciences Catalyst Grant, to work in India on a project that will facilitate training, knowledge exchange, and capacity building among indigenous rights activists in the states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Who are your favorite writers?
Sara Ahmed, Scott Long, Vikram Chandra, James Baldwin.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Harper Pitt from Angels in America.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A honeybee, because we desperately need more of them.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Solange’s A Seat at the Table and Mykki Blanco.
What is your favorite blog or website?
feministkilljoys.
Where is your favorite place to eat on/around campus?
I love cooking with my flatmates, and Brownie’s Café.