Nutan Mishra, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at CT State Middlesex since 2021, is chair of the of the campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Dr. Mishra also represents Middlesex at the CT State Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI).

As a professor, Dr. Mishra (at left in photo with CT State students in England) teaches Principles of Sociology, Introduction to Anthropology and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. She applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to her teaching method. UDL is an adaptable teaching approach designed to accommodate the diverse needs of all learners and remove unnecessary barriers to learning.

“For example, I created extensive PowerPoint lecture presentations for each course, systematically updating them with new social facts, activities and media (video clips mainly). I created a culture assignment based on the application of cultural concepts to select cultural movies. For sociology, I provided students with recent news articles on sociological issues, introduced a culture shock panel activity and affirmative action class debate,” explained Dr. Mishra.

As an Asian Indian woman, Dr. Mishra’s teaching philosophy includes sharing her personal experiences living in a developing world to emphasize culture and anthropology while highlighting her Eastern cultural background and perspective.

She said it leaves students in awe and wanting to know more and fostering a sense of connection.

Prior to Middlesex, Dr. Mishra taught at UConn, where she earned a master of social work. Her internship involved working at York Correctional Institution, interacting with female residents and showcasing talent including poetry and dance. She also taught at Tunxis and Trinity College, and while at Middlesex, taught an in-person sociology course at Cheshire Correctional Institution.

Dr. Mishra received a doctorate degree from the University of Lucknow in India, where her research focused on the history of women and feminism.

In July 2024, Dr. Mishra and a team of CT State students, including Hashem Rauf of Middlesex (see photo), attended the annual Oxford Consortium for Human Rights at the University of Oxford in England. This year’s seminar, entitled “New Technology and Human rights,” explored the relationship between many new technologies emerging across human society and people’s continuous demand for human rights.

“The sessions were academically driven and hectic, with two in the morning and in the afternoon as well as in the evening,” said Dr. Mishra. “The students also visited the former home and residence of Winston Churchill.”

In 2023, Dr. Mishra presented the topic, “Illusion of Inclusion: A study of experiences of adjunct faculty of color in community college” at the Eastern Sociological Society’s conference in Baltimore. The previous year, her presentation was about “Sociology as a vocation for Asian Indian women.” The society’s mission is to “advance sociological research, promote effective teaching, and use social science tools to address social problems.”

Dr. Mishra said CT State ODEI Council meets regularly, having focused on Hispanic heritage but want to celebrate other cultures, find space for diverse population, and collaborate with student activities. Other goals include more academic focus and addressing gaps in overall curriculum and LGBTQ+ outcomes.

“At Middlesex, I can relate to the diversity of our campus. Moving forward, we hope our events can cater to their needs,” she said, who also participate as in Indian classical dance, Natyam.

January 2025