Degree program: PhD
Year accepted: 2025
Advisor: Yoshitaka Ota
Research:  Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Ocean Equity
Background: BSc Biochemistry and Cell Biology and Minor in Marine Science at the University of California San Diego; Master of Marine Affairs and International Development Policy and Management Certificate at the University of Washington

Profile:

Harshitha Sai Viswanathan joined the University of Rhode Island as a PhD student in Marine Affairs in the Fall of 2025. Harshitha is from Abu Dhabi, where she discovered her love for the ocean through scuba diving. This inspired her to pursue her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology with a minor in Marine Science at the University of California, San Diego. While there, she researched food web dynamics in the context of climate change in the Azam Marine Microbiology Lab at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Harshitha realized her studies lacked the human dimensions of how people interact with and shape coastal environments, so she went on to pursue her Master’s in Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. Her thesis examined the intersections of local communities, coastal tourism, and marine protected areas in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. After graduating, Harshitha was awarded the Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship. She worked with the Northwest Seaport Alliance to advance climate resilience in seaports serving local communities and tribal lands. Following this one-year fellowship, she worked as an environmental consultant in Seattle supporting local and international projects across climate adaptation, fisheries governance, and watershed management. Her experiences reinforced her desire to specialize in the field of marine affairs and ultimately led her to URI.

Harshitha’s dissertation work will focus on the social and cultural impacts of climate change in coastal communities. Her research will focus on how caste, gender, and power shape women’s adaptive capacities and ocean governance in South Indian fishing communities. She will be working with Dr. Yoshitaka Ota as her advisor on this research. Harshitha hopes to gain a deeper understanding of ocean equity that informs more inclusive and just approaches to coastal governance. She sees herself working at the International level, where her goals overall are to make an impact by developing resilient and sustainable coastal policies grounded in community-based approaches. Outside of her studies, Harshitha still enjoys scuba diving and other outdoor activities like pickleball.