Prof. Parvathy Binoy is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography. She also teaches courses for Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies and Environmental Studies. Student Elliot Mohler (’18) recently interviewed Prof. Binoy to ask the following questions:
Where did you study for your degrees?
I did my B.A. at Oregon State University and graduate work at Syracuse University, NY.
How did you become interested in Geography?
During my Masters days, I took a course in Development Geography and ran into some interesting articles in Feminist Geography by Mona Domash and Richa Nagar which opened me to the world of Critical Geography. Never looked back after that!
What do you like about Gustavus so far?
I love the culture of community, togetherness and support here at Gustavus. I also enjoy the sincere, engaged and polite students here!
What does your research address and how did you come to research it?
Before academia, I was in the activist circle being involved in several social movements and social causes both in India and in the U.S. I knew a few key organizers of the Anti Coca Cola movement in Kerala which was organizing against Coca Cola for dumping its waste in tribal land in Kerala. Through conversations with these activists I got to know of another social movement happening in another part of India against toxic industrial waste disposal. My research is an ethnography of community members in a riparian village in South India, and their experiences living within and resisting the disposal of toxic industrial waste.
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