Rachel Rothenberg

Dissertation Project
Family engagement with nationalist media in North India
Professional Background
Research/Teaching Assistant
Skills
Hindi, Urdu, Qualitative Methods
About
Rachel Rothenberg’s research interests focus broadly on issues of religious communalism and public religion in South Asia, particularly in the Hindi-speaking regions of North India. Her current research focuses on Hindu nationalist-aligned families in urban Rajasthan, and the ways in which their engagement with contemporary Hindi-language media reflects changing definitions of nationalist personhood in the post-Modi state. Rachel is also interested in contemporary Indian politics on a larger scale, primarily in the rhetorical strategies of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu nationalist organizations. A native of Pittsburgh, Rachel holds a double BA in history and religion from the College of Wooster (2014) and a Master of Theological Studies in South Asian religion from Harvard Divinity School (2016).
Publications
Grants & Fellowships
- UW Top Scholar Award, University of Washington, 2016.
- Dean’s Scholarship, Harvard Divinity School, 2014-2016.
- Summer Language Scholarship, American Institute of Indian Studies, 2015.
- Cummings-Rumbaugh Prize in History, College of Wooster, 2014.
Dissertation Committee
Christian Lee Novetzke
Co-chair
Cabeiri Robinson
Co-chair
Priti Ramamurthy
Radhika Govindrajan