On March 25-26, I had the opportunity to present my paper, “The Bridging Link Fallacy: Weak Ties, Structural Holes, and the Fragility of Networked Governance After USAID,” at the inaugural Social Capital 2026 Conference. Originally planned as an in-person global gathering with social capital enthusiasts in Dubai, the conference transitioned fully online due to the escalating situation in the Gulf and the war in Iran. In many ways, this shift reflected the very dynamics we study: fragility, disruption, and the resilience and adaptive capacity of networks. There was something especially meaningful about continuing these conversations across borders at a moment when the world is experiencing heightened uncertainty, disconnection, and strain…
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Sustaining Scholarship & Writing Across Transition
“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” — Epictetus Dear Colleagues, This year marked a period of sustained effort in scholarship. Rather than measuring the year only by outcomes or appointments, I wanted to reflect on what was built, honored, and sustained with intention. I continued to show up as an independent scholar and writer, remaining committed to research, public scholarship, and thoughtful engagement with complex questions. 2025 reaffirmed that consistency, integrity, and alignment often matter more than speed. The year began with my first campus visit interview, where I delivered a teaching demonstration on”the good, the bad, and the ugly” of the foreign aid conundrum. I left that campus hopeful and…
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Empowering Inclusive Scholarship: Creativity, Belonging, and Resilience in Action
Dear Colleagues, Scholarship is not only about producing research – it is about sustaining voices, building belonging, and challenging the structures that make too many invisible. This year has been an incredible year of transformation, and I have been determined to carry that vision forward through my writing, research, and community-centered work. I want to share some of the steps I’ve taken on that path. This August and September, I have the opportunity to share three original research papers at the American Political Science Association (APSA) conferences: – PolNet at Harvard/Northeastern in Cambridge, MA (August 2025) – APSA Annual Meeting & Teaching & Learning in Vancouver, Canada (September 2025) This…
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“The Qualitative Inquisition” Academic Newsletter Launch
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar Dear Colleagues, It is the year’s final stretch, and I thought to share a few updates with you. Throughout the year I have been nurturing my writing, scholarly, and professional efforts in other platforms and I would like to share a few of those updates. In February this year, I launched my new Academic Newsletter, “The Qualitative Inquisition.” https://qualinquisition.substack.com/ This began as a monthly newsletter. I was able to complete my final edition of 2024 today. I have 7 Editions thus far and plan to increase the distribution frequency in the new…
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Conducting Qualitative Research in Pakistan: Lessons from the Field
Last month, I shared this article on Medium: Conducting Qualitative Research in Pakistan (as an American-Born Pakistani): 25 Lessons and Observations from the Field This is a piece I began writing in Islamabad, the first week of my second field assessment for my doctoral studies in Pakistan, (in October 2018.) I had been sitting with it for the past 3-4 years. I knew at that time that this would have been the kind of piece that I would have loved to read prior to my fieldwork, so I wrote it. I discuss various elements of the nuts and bolts of the Fieldwork and some key lessons and challenges that emerged…
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“Black Day” in Pakistan to Honor Kashmiris
Before the weekend, I noticed people putting up signs and banners all across the federal government area and throughout Islamabad as well as outside the city limits into Rawalpindi as well. I am assuming these signs are all over Pakistan during this time too, given that it is something observed throughout Pakistan. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/385427-pakistan-to-observe-black-day-on-saturday-to-express-solidarity-with-kashmiris https://nation.com.pk/28-Oct-2018/black-day-observed-against-indian-atrocities-in-kashmir https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/386465-black-day-observed-against-occupation-of-kashmir-by-india They have made October 27th, “Black Day,” in Pakistan. Black Day is a day in which they commemorate the Kashmir Crisis, which is often a forgotten crisis. I believe it is a day to support the Kashmiris fighting for independence in IOK (Indian Occupied Kashmir), and also to acknowledge their struggle and loss of…
