Purnima is currently Professor of Behaviour Science at Anant National University and Visiting Faculty at Ashoka University. She draws on her background in development communication, commercial advertising, behaviour science, communication pedagogy, capacity building, and evaluation research to fulfill her teaching, research, and capacity building mandates. She is interested in how communication can be leveraged to change individuals’ beliefs and behaviours and social norms regarding a wide variety of issues such as public health, sanitation, and financial inclusion among others. She is also interested in studying the influence of popular culture on young people – how the “mediatized” world we live in impacts identity formation, and familial, social, and professional perception of self and others. Purnima has previously worked at research organizations such as Population Council, multilaterals like UNICEF, advertising agencies in various geographies, and in universities such as the University of Connecticut and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
