V. Chitra

Dr. V. Chitra is a Lecturer in the School of Archaeology & Anthropology at the Australian National University (ANU), part of the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University (2015), a Master's in Visual Communication from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (2006), and an undergraduate degree in Architecture from KRVIA (2004). Her interdisciplinary work bridges environmental anthropology, science and technology studies, and visual arts, particularly through the use of comics and technical imagery to explore environmental governance and coastal management.

Research interests include climate change, coastal dynamics, disaster ecologies, and human-animal relationships. Her 2024 book "Drawing Coastlines" critiques how technical images shape Mumbai's coastal futures. She co-founded the PossumLab, fostering visual and non-textual research collaborations across disciplines. Chitra advocates for innovative academic formats, emphasizing comics as legitimate research media.

Her publications span urban studies, environmental policy, and materiality in housing. Collaborations include Dr. Adam Sargent in the PossumLab, and she actively engages with communities through visual ethnography. Outside academia, she enjoys sketching, hiking, and science fiction.