Sociocultural anthropologist with over 10 years of diverse research and professional experience in the fields of public health, biodiversity conservation, development, higher education, and journalism. Adept at editing, teaching, training, curriculum development, management, and field-based qualitative research. Experienced in conducting evaluative studies and examining the impact of policies and interventions in a developing country context.
Areas of Strength
Ethnographic Fieldwork Research
Teaching
Program Evaluation
Program Development
Proposal and Grant Writing
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Analytical Problem Solving Skills
Leadership Teamwork Qualities
Public Presentation
Sub-editing Copyediting
Page Layout Design
News Editing
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Gender and Cultural Sensitivity
Photography
Responsibilities include development and review of the organization’s growth targets, outreach and marketing strategy, stakeholder mapping and analysis, strengthening of institutional capacity for new initiatives, support in the development of new initiatives, courses and programs, editorial support for official annual journal “Resilience Initiatives”, revision of digital outreach systems, including website and other social media platforms, and coaching managers on the use of new systems.
- Affiliations: School of Social Sciences & Humanities; School of Advanced Studies; Institute of Communication & Cultural Studies.
- In charge of the Anthropology program.
- Academic Programs Developed: MS Cultural Anthropology, BS Anthropology, BS Sociology
- Courses Taught:
Graduate: Principles & Applications of Cultural Anthropology, Culture & Consumption, Environmental Anthropology
Undergraduate: Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Introduction to Sociology, Globalization & Change, Sociology of Marriage & Family
- Planned, organized and led a two-day workshop titled “Exploring Anthropology and Ethnographic Research”
- Batch advisor for the students of MS Cultural Anthropology program (2014 & 2015).
- Committees: Member of Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) National Curriculum Revision Committee for Anthropology; UMT’s Strategic Planning and Review Cell (SPARC); School Graduate Committee; Departmental committees on teaching, research, and program development.
As Qualitative Primary Investigator for Ethnographic Evaluative Study of Heartfile’s health financing (HHF) program, I conducted fieldwork across the country to document the experiences of HHF beneficiaries, patients and their families, healthcare providers and the organization’s office and field staff to evaluate the program’s strengths and weaknesses. Through ethnographic interviews and observations, the qualitative study critically examines the HHF program in the context of the larger public health system, while identifying problem areas to improve health response, service delivery, and dispensation of treatment to socially and economically marginal groups.
Primary responsibilities included sub-editing for National and Front-Back pages, supervising page layout design, training of newly recruited sub-editors, and proof reading of final pre-print copies.
As Acting News Editor, I led the newsroom in the absence of chief news editor. Responsibilities included selection of news stories, supervision and approval of content printed on various pages, liaison with the Chief Editor and reporters, besides supervision of page layout designs and approval of final pre-print copies.
Designed and taught Introduction to Sociology to undergraduate students of social sciences and humanities.
Primary responsibilities included sub-editing for National and Front-Back pages, supervising page layout design, training of newly recruited sub-editors, and proofreading of final pre-print copies.
This assignment involved planning and execution of communication activities targeting local population, particularly community leaders, doctors, school administrations, religious leaders and imams prior to polio vaccination campaigns under the National Polio Eradication Initiative. Monitoring and evaluation of polio vaccination teams during and after the vaccination days, and addressing refusal cases was also an integral part of the job. The areas under my supervision included the urban, semi-urban and rural areas of Islamabad Capital Territory.
The consultancy comprised several assignments including: quantitative analysis of reports on gender mainstreaming and follow-ups based on a gender audit conducted in various community groups of all four conservancies under the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project (MACP); Data collection from various valleys in the project area; writing support for a workshop report on MACP; Development of an outline for social impact indicators for MACP.
Evaluated the ongoing activities of the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project (MACP) in various valleys of Astore sub-conservancy, and studied the project’s approaches on community involvement and conservation.