معرفی
Prakash Kumar is an Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology (2004), followed by postdoctoral research at Yale University and a tenure at Colorado State University before joining Penn State in 2014. His research bridges South Asian history with the history of science, technology, and public health, focusing on development, modernization, and their impacts on agrarian societies and disease control systems.
Education: PhD in History (Georgia Tech, 2004); Postdoc at Yale University (History Department); Tenure at Colorado State University.
Research Interests: Kumar examines the intersections of colonial/postcolonial science and agrarian systems, including his seminal work on indigo plantations in colonial India and the Green Revolution in India. His current project, Healthy Bodies, explores historical constructions of disease and state interventions in colonial/postcolonial India. His scholarship critiques how technological and scientific systems shaped rural development and public health policies.
Publications Trends: His work spans global histories of technology, colonial agricultural policies, and transnational collaborations in science. Recent focus on the Green Revolution and disease control reflects his interest in technocracy and state-society dynamics.
- Awards: Fulbright Scholar (2021-22), NSF Scholars Award (2008-09 & 2017-18), Penn State Researcher Appreciation (2018, 2021)
- Service: Chair, History of Science Society (2023-25); Editorial roles in Technology and Culture, Agricultural History Society
Labs/Teams: His research on Healthy Bodies involves archival collaborations across India, the U.S., and Europe, examining colonial medical records and global health institutions.
