Sohrob Aslamy

Education:

 

August 2018- May 2026                 Ph.D. candidate in Geography and the Environment, Syracuse University

(expected)                                        Supervisor: Tod Rutherford, Professor, Geography and the Environment                                                                                        Proposed Dissertation: Placing “Kabul New City” between dreams and reality

 

August 2016—May 2018                M.A., Geography, Syracuse University

              Supervisor: Natalie Koch, Geography and the Environment, Syracuse University

              Thesis: Redefining the "border between two worlds": waterscapes of division, devotion,                  and development along the Panj River in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan.

 

September 2010—June 2014        B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Political Science, University of Washington

                                                          B.A., Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), University of Washington

 

University Teaching:

 

August 2024—                                 Instructor of Record, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs,

May 2025                                         Syracuse University

• Collaborated in an interdisciplinary team of instructors from different departments in the Maxwell School to ensure smooth delivery of course content in weekly plenary sessions for MAX 123: Critical Issues for the United States

• Taught two discussion sections per week, graded and assessed student essays, and led lecture for plenary session

 

June 2024                                        Instructor of Record, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse                                                                          University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for GEO 171: Human Geography

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

May 2024                                          Instructor of Record, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse                                                                          University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for GEO 105: World Urban Geography as an online course

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

December 2023—                            Instructor of Record, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse

January 2024                                   University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for GEO 105: World Urban Geography as an online course

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

July 2023                                          Instructor of Record, Summer University Pre-College Programs, Syracuse University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for college-level course, Environment and Society, to high school students participating in Syracuse University’s Pre-College program.

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

May 2023                                          Instructor of Record, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse                                                                          University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for GEO 105: World Urban Geography as an online course

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

January—May 2023                        Instructor of Record, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse                                                                          University

• Developed and delivered curriculum and lectures and facilitated class discussions for GEO 105: World Urban Geography.

• Created grading criteria for assignments and exams to ensure fair assessment.

 

August 2016—                                 Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography and the Environment, Syracuse

May 2024                                         University

• Designed and conducted weekly discussion sessions that reviewed and expanded on course concepts and materials and facilitated collaborative and peer-to-peer learning.

• Graded assignments and exams, providing feedback to students, and maintaining accurate grading records.

• Held regular office hours to offer additional assistance to students.

• Coordinated with primary instructor and other teaching assistants to handle logistical aspects of the course, such as managing online grading and learning platforms.

• Courses assisted include:

  • GEO 105, World Urban Geography: Fall 2016, Fall 2017

  • GEO 372, Political Geography: Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2019

  • GEO 171, Human Geography: Fall 2018

  • GEO 108, Mapping Today—Technology and Spatial Thinking: Spring 2019

  • GEO/PSC 360, Sustainability Science and Policy: Fall 2019

  • GEO 103: Environment and Society: Spring 2020, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

​

Publications:

 

Technical Reports:

 

Balasubramanya, Soumya, Marie-Charlotte Buisson, Sohrob Aslamy, Katherine MacDonald, Panchali Saikia, and Archisman Mitra. 2016. “Creating Water User Associations for Improved Agricultural Productivity in Tajikistan: Opportunities and Challenges.” Paper presented at the 2nd World Irrigation Forum, Chiang Mai, Thailand, November 6–12, 2016.

 

Buisson, Marie-Charlotte, Katherine MacDonald, Panchali Saikia, Soumya Balasubramanya, Sohrob Aslamy, and Ted Horbulyk. 2016. Impact of Water Users Associations on Water and Land Productivity, Equity and Food Security in Tajikistan: Mid-Term Technical Report. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute.

 

Balasubramanya, Soumya, Marie-Charlotte Buisson, Panchali Saikia, Katherine MacDonald, Sohrob Aslamy, Ted Horbulyk, Courtney Hannah, Marat Yakubov, and Albert Platonov. 2015. Impact of Water Users Associations on Water and Land Productivity, Equity and Food Security in Tajikistan: Baseline Technical Report. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute.

 

 

Certifications and Professional Qualifications:

 

August 2024                                    Certificate of Advanced Studies—South Asian Studies.

                                                          Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Syracuse University

 

May 2024                                         Certificate in University Teaching. The Future Professoriate Program, Syracuse                                                                            University

 

 

Presentations and Workshops:

 

October 2024                                   Presentation: “Geography’s explanations of 21st century imperialism in review.”                                                                          Workshop hosted by the Institute of Human Geography

 

 

September 2024                             Paper presentation: “Placing ‘Kabul New City’ between dreams and reality.” Centreal                                                                  Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) Fall Conference at Syracuse University

 

March, 2024                                     Lead organizer for academic workshop entitled, “Today’s Geographies of Imperialism,”                                                              at Syracuse University sponsored by the Department of Geography and the                                                                                  Environment and Funded by the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict                                                              and Collaboration by Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public                                                                  Affairs

 

March, 2023                                    Organized paper session with both in-person and virtual presenters on the topic of                                                                    theorizing the concept of imperialism in geography for the annual meeting of the                                                                        American Association of Geographers in Denver, Colorado

 

March, 2023                                     Paper presentation: “Developing dependency in Afghanistan: a case study of the Kabul                                                              New City project.” Annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers in                                                                        Denver, Colorado

 

April, 2018                                        Paper presentation: “Redefining the ‘border between two worlds’: waterscapes of                                                                      dependency, development, and devotion along the Panj River in the Pamir Mountains of                                                            Tajikistan.” Annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers in New                                                                          Orleans, Louisiana

 

February 2018                                 Paper presentation: “Redefining the ‘border between two worlds’: waterscapes of                                                                      Ismaili devotion along the Panj River in Tajikistan.” Duke-UNC Middle East and Islamic                                                                Studies Graduate Student Conference, "Map, Territory, Boundary,” at Duke University,                                                                  Durham, North Carolina

 

Grants and awards:

 

2023                                                 Mini-Grant through Syracuse University’s Program for the Advancement of

                                                          Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) for the advancement of

                                                          research on conflict and collaboration, including theory, practice and education.                                                                          Co-authored application with Dr. Andre Ortega, and used to organize academic

                                                          symposium, “Today’s Geographies of Imperialism.”

 

2021                                                 The John H. Thompson and Jesse Burkhead Economics and Geography Program Fund,                                                              Syracuse University

 

2019                                                 The Bharati and South Asia Summer Research Grant for field research, Syracuse                                                                        University

 

2018—2023                                     Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation

 

2014                                                 Princeton in Asia Fellowship

 

2013                                                 Michael A. Williams Award for Excellence in Near Eastern Studies, University of                                                                          Washington

 

2013                                                 Naficy Family Fellowship for Excellence in Persian Studies, University of Washington

 

2013                                                 Foreign Language and Area Studies Summer Scholarship for study of Dari (Persian),                                                                  U.S. Department of State

 

2012                                                 Foreign Language and Area Studies Summer Scholarship for study of Dari (Persian),                                                                  U.S. Department of State

                                               

University Service:

 

2023—Present                                Graduate colloquium representative for the Department of Geography and the                                                                              Environment at Syracuse University

 

2018—Present                                Founding member and member of the Executive Board for the Central Asia and                                                                         Caucasus Student Union (CACSU), Syracuse University

 

2018—2019                                     Graduate Coordinator for the Future Professoriate Program in the Department of                                                                        Geography at Syracuse University

 

2016—2017                                     Academic Program Senator for the Graduate Students in Geography Organization to the                                                            Graduate Student Organization at Syracuse University

 

2016—2018                                     Teacher Coordinator for the Syracuse University Program for Refugee Assistance at the                                                            North Side Learning Center in Syracuse, New York
 

 

Other Service:

 

2021—2022                                     English language instructor for Afghan refugees at Ariana Learning Center in Vahdat,                                                                Tajikistan

 

Languages:

​

Persian: Fluent (Reading, Writing, Speaking)

 

Other Employment:

​

April 2015—June 2016                   Research Assistant, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Dushanbe,                                                                        Tajikistan & Tashkent, Uzbekistan

• Authored chapters for technical reports.

• Reviewed and edited large-scale survey instruments in both English and Tajik (Persian).

• Coordinated and monitored large-scale survey implementation and data collection with a local survey company.

• Oversaw trainings for survey enumerators.

• Led independent qualitative research on Water Users’ Associations in Tajikistan.

  • Designed questionnaires for key informant interviews in English and Tajik.

  • Conducted interviews in English and Tajik with the following groups in Tajikistan:

    • Government officials

    • International development organizations

    • Local NGOs

 

February & November 2015          Persian Language Translator, Let Media, Remote

• Translated recorded interviews from Persian (Dari) to English for Let Media’s documentary film on female Afghan cyclists.

 

April 2014—April 2015                   Princeton in Asia Fellow, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Sri                                                                            Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka

• Supported the Human Resources Office in recruitment for international and regional positions at IWMI.

• Participated in the strategic implementation of an online performance management system.

  • Conducted online training sessions remotely for regional offices in Africa and Asia as well as in person in Lahore, Pakistan and at IWMI’s headquarters in Sri Lanka.

• Coordinating with the Change Manager to communicate restructured performance management processes and SMART objective setting to IWMI’s researchers and staff.

• Tested systems and supported data migration to new system from core HR database.

 

August 2012—June 2013              Outreach Intern, Sahar Education International, Seattle, Washington, USA

• Led cultural presentations and organized fundraising events with elementary schools and charitable organizations around the Seattle area.

• Drafted and published monthly newsletters online.

• Managed donations through Excel and Salesforce.

• Communicated with local employees in Afghanistan to receive short stories from students at Sahar supported schools.

• Translated short stories and documents from Persian to English.