Professor Assa Doron

Research Areas:

• Urban Anthropology
• Development Studies
• Environment and Public Health
• Media and Technology

Biography: Professor Assa Doron is an anthropologist specializing in urban studies, development, environment, public health, media, and technology, with a particular focus on India. His research has significantly contributed to our understanding of cultural dynamics, technological change, and environmental challenges in South Asia.

Selected Publications (books):

1. Doron, A. (2013). Life on the Ganga: Boatmen and the Ritual Economy of Banaras. Cambridge University Press. This study explores the ritual economy of the river in Varanasi, offering insights into the cultural and economic dynamics of India's most sacred waterway.
2. Doron, A., & Jeffrey, R. (2013). The Great Indian Phone Book: How the Cheap Cell Phone Changes Business, Politics, and Daily Life. Harvard University Press. This work examines the transformative impact of the mobile phone revolution on Indian society.
3. Doron, A., & Jeffrey, R. (2018). Waste of a Nation: Garbage and Growth in India. Harvard University Press. This prize-winning book provides a comprehensive analysis of waste management and environmental challenges in India's rapidly growing economy.

Professor Doron's research has been featured in international media outlets including The Economist, The Guardian, Times Literary Supplement, Nature, Wall Street Journal, LA Review of Books, Times of India, New Scientist, and Bloomberg, amongst others.

Current Research: Professor Doron is currently investigating critical issues at the intersection of public health, environmental degradation, and the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.

Career highlights

2022 - Reid Prize (citation for Waste of a Nation); Asian Studies Assoc Australia

2020 - President’s Book Prize for 2018–19 (citation)

2013/4 – Awarded Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASAA) Early Career Research Prize

2012 - Awarded Australian Research Council Future Fellowship