Kavita Daiya
About Kavita Daiya
Kavita Daiya is a Professor of English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The George Washington University, where she has contributed significantly to program development and academic growth. She has held various academic positions and fellowships, including serving as the first Asian American Director of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at GWU.
Current Position at The George Washington University
Kavita Daiya serves as a Professor of English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The George Washington University. She has held this position since 2021. In her role, she has contributed to the academic community by creating an interdisciplinary micro-minor on 'Immigration and Migration Studies,' which was established in Fall 2021. Her leadership in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program has been marked by significant growth in student applications and enrollment.
Previous Experience at The George Washington University
Prior to her current role, Kavita Daiya held several positions at The George Washington University. She served as the Director of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Program from 2018 to 2021, where she was the first Asian American to lead the program. Additionally, she was an Associate Professor of English from 2008 to 2021 and the Director of the M.A. Program in English from 2010 to 2014. During her tenure, she achieved a 300% growth in MA applications for the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program in 2021.
Education and Academic Qualifications
Kavita Daiya holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English Language and Literature from The University of Chicago, which she completed from 1995 to 2001. She also earned a Master's Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying there from 1993 to 1995. Earlier, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Rochester, where she studied from 1989 to 1993.
Fellowships and Honors
Kavita Daiya has received notable fellowships, including the Ford Foundation Fellowship and the Andrew Mellon Foundation Regional Faculty Fellowship. She was awarded the Andrew Mellon Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Humanities Forum for the years 2014-2015 and 2012-2013. These fellowships reflect her contributions to the humanities and her commitment to academic excellence.
Publications and Research Projects
Kavita Daiya has published several articles and two books, along with an edited volume. She is currently engaged in two book projects, contributing to the body of knowledge in her fields of expertise. Her research interests encompass various aspects of English literature and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.