معرفی
Anirban Baishya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He joined the university in January 2022 after serving as an Assistant Professor in Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, New York.
His educational background includes:
- PhD in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Southern California (2018)
- M. Phil. in Cinema Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2013)
- M.A. in Arts & Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2011)
- B.A. in Political Science from Cotton College, Gauhati University (2006)
Baishya's research examines digital media's role in reshaping public spheres globally, focusing on how platforms reconfigure private/public boundaries through media forms like selfies, memes, and GIFs. His work critically engages with India's digital landscape, analyzing political mobilization, vernacular pornographies, and right-wing populist technoculture within sociohistorical contexts.
His recent publications demonstrate a concentrated focus on South Asian digital cultures, particularly political meme ecosystems in Indian elections, weaponization of hate speech during pandemics, and decolonial approaches to porn studies. Key trajectories include anti-caste digital activism, pandemic witnessing via drone media, and emergent Indian erotic performance cultures on platforms like OnlyFans.
Scientific recognition includes:
- Social Science Research Council’s Rapid-Response Grant on Covid-19 (2020)
- RESTS Mellon Interdisciplinary Seminar Fellowship at Fordham University (2020-21)
- UCI Global Fellows Early Career Fellowship (2020)
- Signal Culture Researcher in Residence (2019)
Baishya's grant portfolio features the SSRC Covid-19 project analyzing online hate speech in India, alongside editorial leadership for special journal issues on South Asian Pornographies and small media cultures. His collaborative research with scholars like Darshana S. Mini spans multiple publications, though specific student advising details remain unlisted. Current book projects examining Indian selfie cultures and South Asian pornocultures represent significant contributions to digital media scholarship.
