Nick Tackes

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.

C.V.

Education

Columbia University
- PhD, 2021 (anticipated), Department of Religion
- MA, 2016, Department of Religion
Carthage College
- BA, 2013, Religion and Great Ideas
Other
- Fall 2017 – American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS): Advanced Hindi – Jaipur, India
- Summer 2017 – AIIS: Advanced Hindi – Jaipur, India
- Summer 2016 – 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

Native fluency: English
High Proficiency: Hindi
Reading: Sanskrit, French

Competitive Scholarships 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

Conferences

“Zooming in on Mozoomdar: A Microhistory of Brahmo Belief,” Religion in South Asia Section, American Academy of Religion, Denver, November 18, 2018.
Chair/Discussant, “Yoga and Politics: South Asia and Beyond,” Madison South Asia Conference, October 12, 2018.
“The Creation of a Mahatma: Creative License in Ratnadeep Pictures’ Tulsidas (1954),” Madison South Asia Conference, October 23, 2015.

Publications

“Metabolic Living: Food, Fat, and the Absorption of Illness in India by Harris Solomon (Review).” Global Public Health 11, no.2 (2018): 318-19.

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

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