Sayan Bhattacharya

Sayan Bhattacharya is an Assistant Professor in the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. They hold a Ph.D. in Feminist Studies from the University of Minnesota. Their research focuses on transgender communities in India, exploring strategies for life-making in violent contexts through ethnography and archival work. Key themes include care labor, queer diaspora, postcolonial feminism, and intersections with disability studies.

Research Interests:

• Transgender Studies
• Critical Race Theory
• Queer Theory
• HIV/AIDS and Public Health
• Anti-Caste Literature

Recent Work: Their 2023 Sylvia Rivera Award-winning essay examines transgender life-making during the pandemic. Recent publications include analyses of HIV/AIDS activism, legal negotiations with the Indian state, and queer diasporic aesthetics. They also engage with community organizations in West Bengal for trans and disability rights.

Awards:

• 2023 Sylvia Rivera Award in Transgender Studies

Teaching & Advising: Courses on queer theory, transgender studies, and anthropological ethics. No formal advisee list provided, but they mentor through community work and academic collaborations.