Michael (Mukund) Dean Adamson

Age: 22

Home Town: Overland Park, Kansas

Education: BA Development Studies and Languages and Cultures (South Asia)

Specific Field Interests: Political Ecology, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Adivasi/Indigenous and Dalit Rights

Placement: Centre for Environment Education (CEE); Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Area of Focus: Plan and implement climate resilient actions designed to support village livelihoods and conserve local ecology.

Fellowship Project: Environment Protection

Highlights: Michael is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellow with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE); Ahmedabad, Gujarat. For his fellowship project, he is planning and implementing climate resilient actions designed to support village livelihoods and conserve local ecology. Michael has lived in India before while studying Hindi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. This experience left him captivated by the breadth of culture in India and inspired his degree program choice. Michael is a recent graduate of SOAS, University of London with a Dual Honours BA degree in Development Studies and Languages and Cultures (South Asia). Michael focused his studies on the intersections between Adivasi and Dalit communities and development. This focus culminated in an undergraduate dissertation on the concept of backwardness and its effect on Adivasi communities. During his undergraduate degree Michael participated in internships with the Indian Health Service and Outreach International in research roles. In the future, Michael hopes to work with vulnerable communities on climate resilient interventions that value indigenous knowledge and are sensitive to culture and livelihood needs. Michael enjoys playing rugby.