Shailaja Paik

Shailaja Paik is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and Charles Phelps Taft Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Cincinnati—the first and only MacArthur Fellow at the university and in Cincinnati, Ohio. An internationally recognized leader in Critical Caste Studies, Shailaja Paik examines caste, gender, and structural inequality, advancing global understanding of how systems of exclusion shape access to education, dignity, and democratic participation. Her work connects scholarship with institutional and policy conversations about social justice and democracy. 

Over more than two decades, Shailaja Paik has helped define the interdisciplinary field of Critical Caste Studies. Her books Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double Discrimination and The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India reshaped debates on caste, sexuality, and democracy. The Vulgarity of Caste received the John F. Richards Prize from the American Historical Association and the Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Prize from the Association of Asian Studies, recognizing its global intellectual impact. By centering Dalit epistemologies and historically marginalized voices, Paik has expanded how scholars study caste, human rights, and social justice. 

Paik’s research also bridges global conversations about inequality. By drawing comparisons between caste in South Asia and race and structural inequality in the United States, Shailaja Paik has helped catalyze transnational discussions shaping educational reform, equity initiatives, and public discourse. 

At the University of Cincinnati, Shailaja Paik founded the Institute for Just Futures (IJF), a transdisciplinary research institute advancing scholarship, education, and public engagement on caste, gender, and interconnected systems of inequality. The Institute for Just Futures convenes scholars, students, policymakers, artists, and community partners to produce collaborative research, public programming, and policy-relevant knowledge aimed at addressing structural injustice. 

Through scholarship, leadership in Critical Caste Studies, and the building of the Institute for Just Futures, Shailaja Paik continues to expand global conversations on caste, democracy, and structural inequality.