R Padmaja

Padmaja Ravula is Senior Scientist – Gender research at ICRISAT, India with Markets, Institutions, Nutrition and Diversity (MIND) under Research Program on Innovation Systems for the Drylands (ISD). With PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences (Specialization: Sociology) from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B). A Gold Medalist for her Masters Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Pandit Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University. A Sociologist by education and training with 20 years of interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative research on issues related gender, nutrition, social capital and empowerment. A unique competence of training in nutrition research as well as sociological research. Has broad experience working in close collaboration with national and international research institutions, academic institutes, farmers, NGOs, donors and governments. Good team player in multi-disciplinary teams. Well versed with and practitioner of PRA tools and methods. Has more than 54 publications and contributed to development of several research papers and journal articles including impact series, policy briefs, conference papers, edited books, research bulletins and papers in edited books. A Creative thinker, and therefore also interested in bringing out non-conventional/non-academic but interactive products like timelines, video documentaries, visual tools for data collection and analysis. Notable contributions apart from publications, knowledge management and information dissemination include designing and developing methodological tools and frameworks for gender research, with an emphasis on empowerment of rural poor, nutrition and institutions (formal and informal); training and capacity building of student interns, research scholars and PhD students, field staff, researchers including partners to integrate gender and nutrition in social science research activities.