Nick Tackes
PhD Student, Columbia University

About

I am an ethnographer of healing and religion in South Asia. My current research addresses self-help and -care as practiced by two Hindu groups in contemporary North India: the All World Gayatri Pariwar, an organization that pursues wellbeing through community-oriented social service, several religious rites that they claim have scientific backing, and the life and works of their founder Shriram Sharma, the presumed author of some 3200 books; and the patrons of the products and services of Baba Ramdev, whose Patanjali company deals in everything from yoga to instant noodles to swadeshi SIM cards. To this end, I work between Religion and Medical Anthropology.

I am currently a third-year PhD student in the Religion Department of Columbia University.

Research

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C.V.

Education

Ph.D. -- Columbia University

  • 2016-2020 (Anticipated) -- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences -- Department of Religion -- Focus in South Asia

M.A. -- Columbia University

  • 2014-2016 -- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences -- Department of Religion -- Focus in South Asia -- GPA: 3.93

B.A. -- Carthage College

  • 2009-2013 -- summa cum laude -- All College Honors -- Dual Major in Religion and Great Ideas -- GPA: 3.93

Other

  • Summer and Fall 2017 -- American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS): Advanced Hindi -- Jaipur, India

  • Summer 2016 -- American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS): Advanced Hindi -- Jaipur, India

  • Summer 2015 -- South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI): Intermediate Sanskrit -- Madison, WI

  • Fall 2013 -- Zabaan Language Institute: Intermediate Hindi -- New Delhi, India

Languages

  • Hindi -- Training at AIIS, Columbia University, Zabaan Language Institute, Carthage College

  • Sanskrit -- Training at Columbia University, SASLI (Madison, WI)

Competitive Fellowships and Honors

2018

  • Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award

  • AIIS Junior Research Fellowship (declined)

2017

  • AIIS Language Fellowship: Hindi

  • Summer FLAS Fellowship: Hindi

2016

  • Summer FLAS Fellowship: Hindi

2015

  • Academic Year FLAS Fellowship: Hindi

2014

  • Academic Year FLAS Fellowship: Hindi

2013

  • Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship -- English Teaching Assistant -- New Delhi, India

    • Conference Papers/Presentations

    • "Zooming in on Mozoomdar: A Microhistory of Brahmo Belief." American Acadamy of Religion Annual Conference, Denver, CO. (Fall 2018)

    • Chair/Discussant. "Yoga and Politics: South Asia and Beyond." Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Fall 2018)

    • "The Creation of a Mahatma: Creative License in Ratnadeep Pictures' Tulsidas (1954)." Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Fall 2015)

    Publications

    Professional Memberships

    • American Academy of Religion (AAR)

    • International Exchange Alumni

    Academic Positions

    Spring 2019

    • Teaching Assistant -- "Millenium: Apocalypse and Utopia" (Elizabeth Castelli, Religion)

    Fall 2018

    • Teaching Assistant -- "East Asian Buddhism" (Michael Como, Religion)

    Summer 2018

    • Graduate Mentor -- Laidlaw Scholarship Program

    • Research Assistant -- Kavita Sivaramakrishnan (History and Public Health)

    Spring 2018

    • Teaching Assistant -- "Hinduism" (Jack Hawley, Religion)

    Spring 2017

    • Research Assistant -- Kavita Sivaramakrishnan (History and Public Health)

    Summer 2014

    • Creative Writing Teacher -- The Center for Gifted: Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity, Buffalo Grove, IL

    Summer 2013-2014

    • English Teaching Assistant -- Fulbright-Nehru Scholarship -- New Delhi, India

    Fall 2011-Spring 2013

    • CRLA Level 3 Certified Writing Tutor -- Carthage College Writing Center

Download CV

Contact


or, email me at jnt2127@columbia.edu