Sandria B. Freitag

Sandria B. Freitag is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on modern South Asian history, visual culture, and the intersection of art with social activism. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Religion from Mills College (1967), an M.A. in Modern South Asian History from UC Berkeley (1971), and a Ph.D. in Modern South Asian History from UC Berkeley (1980).

Freitag’s work examines visual media such as posters and photography to analyze everyday life and socio-political change in India. Recent projects include Acts of Seeing, Ways of Knowing (forthcoming 2024), exploring visual culture’s role in modern India. She also investigates NGOs and community activism, emphasizing craft preservation and social uplift. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges history, anthropology, and visual studies.

Freitag has received numerous awards, including the NCSU Faculty Research Award (2016–17) and the I.M. Meyer Fellowship (2008). She has held fellowships at institutions including the Max Planck Institut Fur Geschichte and the National University of Singapore. Her teaching and research emphasize global perspectives and collaborative community engagement.

Her publications span journals like Journal of Asian Studies and South Asia, and she has guest-edited special issues on visual culture. Current research explores comparative approaches to craft-based social initiatives and their impact on modern Indian society.