Walter Hakala

Walter Hakala is an Associate Professor of English and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. His research focuses on South Asian literature, lexicography, Mughal and colonial history, and Islamic studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. His work examines Urdu language evolution, colonial lexicons, and cultural exchanges in pre-modern and colonial South Asia.

• Education: Ph.D. South Asian Regional Studies (University of Pennsylvania), M.A. Urdu Literature (Jawaharlal Nehru University), B.A. Asian Studies (University of Virginia).

Research interests include Urdu lexicography, Mughal cultural practices, and the intersection of language and power. His book Negotiating Languages: Urdu, Hindi, and the Definition of Modern South Asia received the Edward Cameron Dimock Jr. Prize. His articles span topics like coffee in 18th-century Delhi, Afghan cultural narratives, and colonial dictionary-making. He has held fellowships from the American Institute of Indian Studies and the American Institute of Iranian Studies.

• Awards: 2015 Edward Cameron Dimock Prize, 2017 UB Exceptional Scholar Award, 2017 Teaching Award, 2018 Cohn Book Prize Honorable Mention.

Hakala advises on South Asian Studies programs and engages in pedagogical innovation through the Experiential Learning Network. His current projects include a book on Urdu public texts and studies of colonial vocabularies.