About Me

I studied Nepali folk music practices while earning my MA and PhD in Music (ethnomusicology) at the University of California Riverside. Before that, I earned a BA in Music and English from Hollins University. Now, I continue to research and write about music practices in Nepal, work as a freelance academic editor and writing coach, and direct the graduate writing center at Anderson University in South Carolina.

My research has been supported by doctoral fellowships, a Fulbright IIE grant (2012-2013), a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society (2019), and a short-term special collections fellowship from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (2023). My research and other writing can be found in Himalaya, Anthropology and Humanism, Asian Music, and Studies in Nepali History and Society, among others.

As a writing coach, I have worked with university students, faculty, and staff since 2012. Many of my clients have been English language learners, non-traditional students, and involved in STEM and professional fields. As a university instructor, I have taught both undergraduate and graduate courses on world music as well as writing and research. I have worked at community colleges, research institutes (R1 and R2), and liberal arts colleges.

 I was previously involved in UC Riverside’s Latin American Music ensemble, which performs folk and popular music from the Andean region of South America, and I’ve sung in university and community choirs as an alto. I occasionally play piano for my own pleasure.

Raised in Nepal, I identify as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and would not exchange my life as a global nomad for anything different. I am an avid tea drinker, but my professional work has taught me to appreciate coffee.