Dr. Neha Kumari

Neha Kumari is an Assistant Professor at Sri Balaji University, Pune, India. She has completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, India. She has published research articles in reputed journals, indexed in Scopus, and Web of Science. Neha is the editor of Fat Studies, Taylor & Francis. She is an academic editor of the Rupkatha and an editorial board member of the Indian Journal of Health, Sexuality, and Culture. Neha has a passion for creative writing and has published a poetry named My Identity and a short story titled My Journey through Thorns. Her areas of interest include Gender and Sexuality Studies, Fat Studies, Film Studies, Transgender Studies, Cultural Studies, and Women's Studies and Communication. She qualified and scored AIR 2nd in IIT ISM JRF ENTRANCE EXAM on 27th Dec 2017 under MHRD Ph.D. Fellowship Program and received MHRD fellowship. She secured 2nd rank in M.A. in English, Ranchi University, Ranchi, India, 2015. Kumari held the position of English Instructor for the App Development Project in the SPIRE Lab at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore, in 2023. She has received the BEST RESEARCH PAPER AWARD titled “Unveiling Identities: Understanding Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Indian Lesbian and Trans Narratives” at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Dialogues (ICID-2024). She was invited as keynote Speaker and session chair at various Universities and conferences, for instance, Reva University, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (2023), 3rd Edition: Gender and Sexuality Studies, Dubai, UAE (2022), 6th Edition: Global Congress on Gender & Sexuality Studies, London, UK (October 2024). She has been a member of the Development Studies Association, UK, for research since 2021. Dr. Neha is a dedicated mentor, trainer, and the founder of PRISM, a communication and placement-preparation club. Through PRISM, she designs and delivers intensive training programs that equip MBA students with the interview readiness needed to excel in campus placements. Kumari is the faculty mentor of NHRDN - SBUP Student Chapter and has organized various events, for instance, workshop titled Inclusive Leadership: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging, SBUP NHRDN International Student Conference, and a POSH Seminar. With a multifaceted approach, Neha Kumari continues to mentor students, drive academic research, and contribute to global discussions on gender, culture, and representation.