Aman Luthra

Aman Luthra is an Assistant Professor of Geography at George Washington University, serving as an undergraduate advisor for the Geography major. He teaches courses in political ecology, development geography, and the geography of South Asia. His research focuses on urban waste management in India, informal labor dynamics, and pollinator ecology in the Himalayas. Luthra holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University (2015), an M.A. and M.P.A. from Syracuse University (2004), and a B.S. from the University of Maine at Machias (2001).

His research has been funded by Fulbright, the National Science Foundation, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Key projects include analyzing waste picker livelihoods during the 2020 Delhi lockdown and interdisciplinary citizen science initiatives tracking pollinator diversity in Uttarakhand. Luthra’s work bridges political ecology with urban studies, examining how state policies and capital dynamics shape informal sectors and environmental outcomes.

Publications span leading journals like Antipode, Geoforum, and Environment and Planning A, addressing topics such as menstrual waste management, platform capitalism in recycling, and spatial discourses in urban hygiene initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission.

• Scientific Awards: Fulbright Fellowship
• Key Grants: NSF, SSRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation

He collaborates on projects like Himalayan pollinator studies and co-leads initiatives linking citizen science with ecological conservation. Office hours are held via Zoom on Mondays and Thursdays.