Dr Divya M Persaud she/her
Research Fellow
Mission Priority Areas
I am currently transitioning to establishing a research group, and want to do so in a way that centres the goal of expanding who gets to be in this field, and authentically.
I have been lucky in my career to have had a key mentor who invested in my wellbeing and valued me and my identities, and allowed me to be authentic in the work that I do, but I also unfortunately know from experience that PhDs are often isolating, othering experiences for scientists with protected characteristics, particularly when there is no understanding support from the supervisor.
As this is something I am very committed to disrupting, this programme is an exciting opportunity to enable cutting edge science whilst also ensuring that students are empowered fully in their identities.
My fellowship focuses on developing new imaging technologies and techniques, combining image simulation, geospatial tools, and fieldwork. My passion is investigating what we take for granted: assumptions that go into using geospatial software, how different experts constrain error, and where these affect downstream decisions on the scale of operating a spacecraft on another world, or scientific analysis of the data that mission returns. I am also interested in the way these decisions interact with society, from the political economy of space to the narratives that planetary data promote.
My dream collaborations are with software/engineers and sociologists/STS to explore the social-technological interfaces in modern geoscience and their effects on empiricism, especially in this big data era where fidelity is increasingly vital. Potential projects are: constraining automated methods of 3D processing and geolocation of satellite imagery of Earth and other worlds, validated with fieldwork; cross-disciplinary 2D and 3D imaging studies, such as for planetary science, biodiversity, or human rights; ethnography of geospatial tools to develop a theoretical approach for ethical and effective image processing; and investigating the relationship between political economy and the narratives of planetary/Earth imaging, and how they may be reshaped for good. I am eager to probe questions such as—should we be doing this? Are we studying this the right way? Does my work empower communities? These are just some ideas and I’d love to brainstorm with you if you have other thoughts or directions you would like to explore.
I take a relaxed but structured approach to mentorship, respecting mentees as peers who are welcome to be authentic and explore ideas together. I prefer to lead rather than tell mentees how to identify areas of potential growth, reinforcing confidence in skills and helping to develop lines of inquiry. I emphasize rigorous engagement with cross-disciplinary methods and building networks across fields.
My dedication to justice and EDIA is equal to my passion for my research. I speak extensively on EDIA and the social contexts of space science (e.g., coloniality, militarism, human rights), have served on multiple academic EDIA committees and boards of organizations working on ethical space futures, and mentor through a variety of external programmes. Further, I consult for academia and industry on accessibility, spun out from the accessibility-centred global conference I co-facilitate, Space Science in Context, which also focuses on bringing together natural scientists, social scientists, and humanists to tackle pressing issues in space.
I have a punk-rock approach to inclusivity, research, mentorship, and beyond: I believe in the discoveries that exist at the interstices, where we can bring our identities into our work and play with ideas across disciplinary boundaries in ways that are respectful of ourselves and just for the planet—and that science might just rely on our doing this.
