Shatarupa Thakurta Roy

Dr. Shatarupa Thakurta Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur). She teaches courses in Art Appreciation, Design Theory, Visual Communication, and History of Art, and collaborates with IIT Kanpur's Design Programme. She holds a Ph.D. in Design from IIT Guwahati (2014), an M.F.A. (1999), and a B.F.A. (1997) from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati Santiniketan.

Her research explores Visual Culture, Indian Folk and Minor Art, Graphic Design, and Design Theory, with fieldwork focusing on narrative folk paintings across Eastern India. She emphasizes cultural sustainability, visual storytelling, and interdisciplinary design methodologies.

Her publications (2011–2022) span art theory, data visualization, HCI, and cultural preservation, reflecting trends in cross-disciplinary innovation, social impact design, and digital heritage conservation. She frequently integrates cognitive psychology, new materialism, and postcolonial perspectives.

Awards & Honors:

• Best Paper Award, NaCoMM 2011
• National Scholarship Scheme, Government of India (1997–1998)
• Mentorship Award for 'Toycathon 2021' (designing educational board game 'CheMystery')

Advising & Grants: She has supervised 15+ Ph.D. and 35+ M.Des. theses. Funded projects include an MHRD grant (2016) for assistive interfaces for dyslexic children and a Doordarshan collaboration (2022) on sustainable farming documentaries.

Administration: She has served as Warden, DPGC Convener, and lab in-charge at IIT Kanpur. She also edits academic journals and chairs conferences on art and design.