Manas Murthy

This is a photo of me addressing students and faculty at the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, talking about my research with disaster resilience and mitigation as part of a series of talks organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). It is what I wish to do for the rest of my life—continue to grow as an academic, share my ideas and produce new knowledge!

Degree: PhD in Architecture

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2023

Prior Degrees
BArch, Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

MA in Sustainable Urbanism, The Princes Foundation for Building Community, University of Wales, Trinity St. David, London

M.A in Urban Design, Welsh School of Architecture & CPLAN, Cardiff University, Wales

2021-2022 Scholarships
Miller Hull Endowed Scholarship
Nascence and UO Hong Kong Alumni Scholarship in the Department of Architecture

I Am Originally From Delhi, India

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
Ever since my Masters in the UK, I have been in touch with my current advisor Howard Davis, Professor of Architecture, about our mutual views on informality in urban development. His work has been a huge influence on my approach towards built environment research and it was upon his suggestion that I applied to be at UO. Upon my arrival here, I found that the department is very grounded in a practical and accessible approach towards sustainability teaching that I appreciated. I appreciate the sense of humility with which architecture is taught here.

My area of doctoral research has been a long trajectory involving several public realm and community engagement projects, as well as, teaching and research that I carried out before coming to UO. However, it is my advisor Prof Davis, who continues to be an influence and guide towards my chosen areas of specialization.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
My research involves a close look at new housing types and development patterns in Delhi. These recent changes are related to the way informal processes are prevalent in developing countries, neighbourhoods are changing, and the unique mobility patterns of the city. My experiences with community engagement (participatory planning) in the UK and India, with transport and low carbon mobility (walking and cycling) advocacy, and my seven years of teaching experience, all significantly contribute to my roles as student and graduate employee at UO.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
Howard Davis, Professor of Architecture, has been an ongoing influence on my work since 2010, when I met him at a conference in Hamburg where we were both presenting. His ideas about “building culture” and mixed use, informal settlements have significantly helped me look at my own built environment in Delhi differently and shaped my research proposal as it stands now.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Ever since my arrival at UO, I have sought out extra-curricular and volunteer roles to get involved with the university and larger community in a meaningful way. As a result, I have held and continue to hold several such affiliations and responsibilities:

Member, Rehearsals for Life (Graduate Student Theatre Group), Office of Dean of Students, UO (2018-Ongoing)

Member, Graduate Diversity Action Council, Graduate School, UO (2020-Ongoing)

Member, University Scholarship Committee, UO (2020)

Member, Spatial Justice Initiative Advisory Group, College of Design, UO (2019 – Ongoing)

Department Steward for Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF), UO (2018 – Ongoing)

Student Representative, Graduate Studies Committee, Dept. of Architecture, UO (2018 – 2019)

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
My greatest learning at UO has come from my involvement with Rehearsals for Life (RfL). We are a graduate student theatre group that does workshops with various departments and units on campus, using “theatre of the oppressed” and “playback theatre,” to address issues of social, racial and ethnic justice in an interactive format. RfL has helped me check my own biases and empathise with my students in a way that I did not before (in India). It has helped me see how the undergrad students at UO come from diverse backgrounds and have at times overcome several obstacles to pursue the education of their dreams and helped me become a support and ally rather than another obstacle.

AFTER GRADUATION
Though I am currently gearing up for my fieldwork in India for next eight months, and the arduous process of writing up my dissertation after that, I do see myself as an academic and design teacher in the long run. I thoroughly enjoyed my time teaching Introductory and Intermediate Design studios at the department here and feel right at home while teaching. The times I was appointed sole instructor, have enabled me to sharpen my pedagogical skills and my interactions with other instructors through mid term and end term reviews have broadened my own views on architecture. My PhD, on the other hand, will enable me to compete with other graduates in the field for coveted academic positions.

YOUR GIFT
Since I will be away from the US and subsequently away from my Graduate Employee position and other Job opportunities for the next eight months while carrying out my dissertation research in India, I will not have a source of income and as such would find it hard to support myself. This scholarship has significantly addressed my anxiety with regards to this period of unemployment. I will now be able to focus solely on collecting data from interviews and archives without worrying about having to acquire a part time job in India.

I would like to offer my greatest gratitude to you for creatingf this award, which has enabled my continuing education and supported my research endeavours, especially after the pandemic has taken so much and caused so much anxiety for me and my family. I cannot thank you enough for this show of faith and solidarity, and for supporting the potential in my research and career. Thank you!