Trishula Patel

Trishula Patel is a historian and academic specializing in African history, with a focus on the Indian diaspora in Zimbabwe. Here are some key details about her:

Academic Background

• Completed her Ph.D. in African History at Georgetown University in 202123
• Dissertation titled "Becoming Zimbabwean: A History of Indians in Rhodesia, 1890-1980"3
• Holds previous degrees including:
  • MA in World History from the University of Pennsylvania (2014)
  • MS in Journalism from Columbia University (2013)
  • BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania (2012)2

Research Focus

Patel's research explores the history of the Indian minority in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe through the lens of colonialism and racial segregation.1 Her work examines:

• The unique position of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe within the British Empire
• The complex ways racial discrimination manifested in the region
• The role of Indians as both colonizers and colonized subjects1

Professional Experience

• Currently an Assistant Professor of African/African diaspora history at the University of Denver2
• Received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship in 2018-20191
• Worked as a freelance writer for publications like The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer1
• Served as a secondary school teacher in Harare, Zimbabwe1

Achievements and Recognition

• Received the Harold N. Glassman Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Social Sciences at Georgetown University5
• Awarded the Joan Challinor Award for Overall Excellence by the Cosmos Club Foundation in 20194

Patel's work contributes to the fields of African history, colonial studies, and diaspora studies, offering new perspectives on race, identity, and citizenship in the context of British imperial history and Zimbabwean historiography.3