Abha Sur

Abha Sur is a Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, specializing in Women's and Gender Studies. A scientist turned historian of science, she holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Vanderbilt University and post-graduate training in multi-photon ionization spectroscopy at SUNY Stony Brook and Yale University.

• Her research focuses on the history of modern science in India through a subaltern perspective, particularly examining intersections of caste, nationalism, gender, and colonialism.
• She authored the book Dispersed Radiance: Caste, Gender, and Modern Science in India (Navayana, 2011), which critically analyzes the socio-political context of scientific development in India.

Academic Appointments:

• Lecturer, MIT

Research Themes:

• History of science in postcolonial contexts
• Science and technology in developing societies
• Gendered power structures in scientific institutions

Scientific Awards:

• Rosie the Riveter Collective for Progressive Solidarity
• Radcliffe Institute (Bunting Institute) Fellowship
• Dibner Institute Fellowship