I’m an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist and have a PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou), with a specialization in Environment and Development Economics. My work sits at the intersection of environmental economics, environmental law, business, and sociology involving concepts from ecological principles, rights of nature (a.k.a. environmental personhood), and cooperatives. My research is driven by a core belief that equitable environmental governance requires both institutional innovation and grassroots empowerment.

At Mizzou, I have held multiple leadership and service roles, including director of the Deaton Scholars Program, where I mentored students and designed community engagement curricula; president of the CAFNR International Program Student Organization, supporting over 900 international students through sustainability and community initiatives; and president of Universities Fighting World Hunger-Mizzou, which is a chapter of UFWH at Mizzou trying to create awareness about food wastage and food & nutrition insecurity, and is working towards reducing both in the city of Columbia (Missouri). I have also contributed as a volunteer with the International Association of Society and Natural Resources, where I supported global outreach and digital engagement.

My research explores how communities can be empowered to conserve ecosystems through new organizational models like ecosystem cooperatives, which blend insights from economics, environmental law, and cooperative principles. These cooperatives offer a multi-stakeholder governance framework that emphasizes local stewardship, environmental accountability, and inclusive decision-making.

Current projects include:

• Survey-based analysis of environmental, cooperative, and altruistic values among global populations and U.S. farmers to understand public support for collective ecological action.

• Conceptualizing “Phase 0” of collective action, a pre-organizational stage where perceived unfairness and existential threats motivate communities toward mobilization.

• Conceptualizing an organizational structure called ecosystem cooperatives as an alternative to existing conservation models. Planning case studies in India’s lower Himalayan forests and among U.S. farmers enrolled in conservation easement programs.

Beyond academic research, I am deeply engaged in community-centered initiatives. These include mentoring students, leading university and non-profit organizations, organizing training workshops on agricultural cooperatives for small and marginal farmers in India, and coordinating sustainability projects focused on reducing food and material waste on campus and in the community.

My service and leadership have been recognized through various awards mentioned below. Check my CV in the Job Market Materials page for more details. 

Education

• Ph.D. in Agricultural & Applied Economics
  University of Missouri – Columbia (June 2025)
  Specialization: Environment & Development Economics

• B.Sc. + M.Sc. in Environmental Economics
  Central University of Tamil Nadu & Madras School of Economics (2017)

Awards and Honors (Selected)

• Albert R. Hagan Memorial Graduate Fellowship in Agricultural Economics (2025)

• Mary Elizabeth Gutermuth Award for Community Engagement (2025)

• Rollins Society Inductee (2024)

• Mizzou 18 Honoree (2024)

• Remington R. Williams Student Leader of the Year (2023)

• India37 and Willi & Daly Meyers Fieldwork Grants (2022–24)

• University of Missouri Graduate Professional Council - International Student Award (2022)

Affiliations and Engagement

• Director, Deaton Scholars Program (2022–2024)

• President, CAFNR International Program Student Organization (2024-2025)

• Founder and President, Universities Fighting World Hunger – Mizzou (2021-2024)

• Member, International Association for Society and Natural Resources 

• Board Member, Bio-cultural Conservation Institute (2021-2024)