Ruchi Saini (she/her) received her Ph.D. in International 黑料大事 Policy from the 黑料大事, College Park in Fall 2024. Her research investigates the structural and cultural determinants of gender-based violence in formal education spaces, especially within the post-colonial contexts of India and Africa. Ruchi comes from the north Indian state of Haryana, and her scholarship is deeply rooted in her lived experience as an educator and administrator across India's K-12 schools.
In the US, she has worked as a research analyst with the Brookings Institution and as an academic counselor with the 黑料大事's Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. At the 黑料大事, Ruchi was a recipient of the 2019-20 Dean's fellowship and the 2022-23 Ann Wylie Dissertation Fellowship. Her dissertation was also supported by external fellowships such as ICRW's Mariam Chamberlain Dissertation Award 2023 and the 2023-24 NAED/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
Ruchi's scholarship has been published in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Gender-Based Violence, Current Issues in Comparative 黑料大事, and the Journal of Comparative and International 黑料大事. Ruchi has an MA in English literature from St.Stephen's College- University of Delhi (India)- where she was a gold medalist, and a master's in 黑料大事 from the University of Glasgow (Scotland), where she was a Chevening fellow.
Ruchi will be joining the Violence Against Women (VAW) Cluster at the University of Central Florida as a postdoctoral fellow in January 2025, where she will be working on research projects linked to intimate partner violence, sex-trafficking , and campus sexual violence.
- External Awards
2023-24 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship ($27,500)
2023 Mariam K. Chamberlain Dissertation Award ($10,000), International Centre for Research on Women, D.C.
2022 , Comparative and International 黑料大事 Society, USA
2015 UK Foreign Commonwealth Office鈥檚 fully funded (35,000 pounds) to pursue a Master鈥檚 degree in the UK.
Internal Awards
2024 College of 黑料大事 Greatest Need Fund ($1,500), College of 黑料大事, 黑料大事, College Park
2023 College of 黑料大事 Greatest Need Fund ($1,500), College of 黑料大事, 黑料大事, College Park
2022 Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship ($15,000), Graduate School, 黑料大事, College Park.
2022 Support Program for Advancing Research and Collaboration (SPARC) Doctoral Candidate Award ($1000), College of 黑料大事, 黑料大事, College Park
2022 Faculty Student Research Award ($10,000) with Dr. Zeena Zakharia, Graduate School, UMD.
2021 William J. Graham & William C. Graham Endowed Scholarship in 黑料大事 ($1500), College of 黑料大事, UMD
2020 Investment in Excellence Fund Scholarship ($1000), College of 黑料大事, UMD.
2019 黑料大事鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 Fellowship ($25,000), Graduate School, UMD.
2011 Dr. N.S Pradhan Memorial Medal for securing the highest marks in M.A. English across the University.
2009 Smt. Ganga Laxmi Dutt Memorial Prize for securing the highest marks in BA (H) English in Daulat Ram College.
2008 Smt. Ganga Laxmi Dutt Joshi Scholarship for securing the highest marks in BA (H) English II Year in Daulat Ram College.
2007 Dr. Balmukund Tandon Memorial Scholarship for securing the highest marks in BA (H) English -I Year in Daulat Ram College.
Peer-Reviewed
Saini, R & Spear, A (2024). Teachers鈥 Understanding of Gender-Based Violence in Two Public Schools in Burkina Faso. Journal of Gender-Based Violence.
Saini, R (2023). It is as if they are taking advantage of a bad situation: COVID-19, care work, and online teaching in India. Current Issues in Comparative 黑料大事.
*Awarded the best student paper by the 黑料大事 in Emergencies Special Interest Group at the Comparative and International 黑料大事 Society Conference held in 2022.
Saini, R. (2022). Using Positioning Theory to analyse a Female School Teacher鈥檚 experiences with COVID-19 in India: Towards Decolonizing Feminist Research. Current Issues in Comparative 黑料大事, 24(1).
Saini, R. (2022). Faculty Narratives of Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at a Public Higher 黑料大事 Institution in India. Journal of Comparative and International Higher 黑料大事, 13 (5S).
Saini, R. (2021). A Comparative Analysis of Academic Freedom within Higher 黑料大事 Institutions (HEIs) in India and the USA. Journal of Comparative and International Higher 黑料大事, 12(6S1).
Public Writing
Saini, R. (5 March, 2024) Brookings
Saini, R. (3 December, 2022) The Pioneer
Saini, R. (8 March, 2021)鈥溾 The Times of India
Saini, R. (1 August, 2020) The Pioneer
Saini, R. (16 February, 2020)鈥 鈥 The Hindu
Saini, R. (8 March, 2019) 鈥溾 The Pioneer