Kim Gutschow

Kim Gutschow is a Senior Lecturer in Religion and Anthropology/Sociology at Williams College, where she has been teaching since 2003. She holds appointments in multiple interdisciplinary programs including Public Health, Science and Technology Studies, Asian Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, reflecting the breadth of her scholarly interests.

Education:

• B.A., Harvard University (1988)
• M.A., Harvard University (1995)
• Ph.D., Harvard University (1998)

Gutschow's research centers at the intersection of medical anthropology, Buddhist studies, and gender studies, with a particular focus on South Asia and the Himalayas. Her work explores gender and sexuality in Buddhism, reproductive justice, maternal mortality, medical anthropology, biomedicine, mindfulness practices, and irrigation systems in Northwest India. Her fieldwork in Ladakh, India has informed much of her scholarship on Buddhist nunneries, maternal health, and social organization.

Gutschow's publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining how global health policies interact with local practices, particularly in the context of maternal health in rural India. Her recent work has pivoted to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternity care systems globally and in the United States, demonstrating her ability to engage with contemporary health crises through an anthropological lens.

Scientific Awards:

• Sharon Stephen's Book Prize, American Ethnological Society (2005) for Being a Buddhist Nun: The Struggle for Enlightenment in the Himalayas
• Grand Jury Prize, Banff Mountain Film Festival (1995)
• 1st Prize, Telluride Mountain Film Festival (1995)
• Honorable Mention, New York Film Festival (1995)

Gutschow has secured significant research funding including a National Geographic Society Award (2020-21) for climate change adaptation work engaging Zangskar's population, a five-year Goettingen University Grant (2011-16) studying maternal and neonatal deaths in Ladakh, and an Advanced Researcher Fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation (2009-11). Her teaching spans numerous interdisciplinary courses examining India's identities, body politics in South Asia, Buddhism and gender, and mindfulness studies. She is affiliated with the American Anthropological Association and the Ladakh Studies Association.