Biographical Sketch
Aakanksha Sinha
Ph.D. Student
Boston College
Education
MSW, Boston College
BA, Delhi University
Career Goals
Aakanksha aims to be a professional researcher, educator and a link between academia and development
functionaries. As a social worker, trained in international child welfare issues, she hopes to develop and strengthen
programs aimed at increasing access to basic needs for low income children and families, globally. She also aims to
be a professor at a university to teach future social workers, global child and women welfare policy. She will include
the voice of the marginalized population and accounts of field realities obtained from the projects conducted in the
community to enhance the classroom curricula.
Research Interests
Global Social Work; Food Security; Human Rights; Poverty; Child and Family Welfare
Publishable Paper Title
Exploring Factors Associated with Education Outcomes for Orphan and Abandoned Children: A Case of India
(Successfully defended 2014)
Organization Affiliations
Society for Social Work Research; International Federation of Social Workers
Awards and Fellowships
Boston College Doctoral Fellowship; Doctoral Diversity Fellowship; Leo P. Haley Award for Excellence in
Communication, Leadership and Contribution in International Social Work
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant - SCWK998 History and Philosophy of US Social Welfare; Research Methods Tutor - SW747
Research Methods; Teaching Assistant - SW797 Frameworks and Tools for Global Practice; Guest Lecturer - SC980
History and Philosophy of Social Welfare “Comparative Child Welfare in US and India: Towards Social Inclusion
of Children Without Parental Care”; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) [New Delhi, India] Trainer – FES Youth
Workshop: Conducted training session on Developing Strategy for Youth Involvement in Trade Union Movement
Research Experience
Conducted pilot evaluation study on "Integrated Child Development Scheme" in the Delhi region in India for the
Ministry of Women and Child Welfare Department, India; Prepared presentations on community mapping of areas
within Massachusetts to trace demographic characteristics; Research and literature review on issues of food security
in the US; Consulted for the International Labor Organization to research on child labor and human rights issues in
India.
Publications
Lombe, M. & Sinha, A. (2015). Poverty Clock. In Odekon, M. Encyclopedia of World Poverty. Sage
Publications. In Press
Lombe, M. & Sinha, A. (2015). Child Consumption Poverty. In Odekon, M. Encyclopedia of World
Poverty. Sage Publications. In Press
Lungu, T., Newransky, C., Sinha,A. (2015). Ch7. Responding to orphaned and vulnerable children in
Zambia. In Lombe, M. & Ochumbo, A. (Ed) Children and AIDS. Ashgate Publishing, In Press
Lombe, M., Nebbitt, V., Sinha, A. & Reynolds, A. (2015). Examining effects of food security and food
choices on health outcomes in households in poverty. Social Work in Healthcare. Under Review.
Nebitt, V.E., Lombe, M., Chu,Y. , Sinha, A. & Tirmazi, T. (2015). Correlates of Food Security among
Low-resource Young People: An Assessment of Community Protective Factors within Public Housing
Neighborhoods. Journal of the Poor and Underserved. Under Review
Sinha, A., Lombe, M., Saltzman, L.Y., Whetten, R. & Whetten, K. (2015). Factors associated with
educational outcomes of orphan and abandoned children: a case of India. International Social Work. Under Review
Crea, T.M., Reynolds, A., Sinha, A., Eaton, J.F., Robertson, L.A., Mushati, P., Dumba, L.T., Mavise, G.,
Makoni, J.C., Nyamukapa, C. & Gregson, S. (2015). Effects of Cash Transfers on Vulnerable Children’s Health and
Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: What are the Mechanisms of Impact? BMC Public Health. Under Review
Sinha, A. (2015). Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS): A Pilot Study in the National Capital
Territory (NCT), India. Institute for Human Development. New Delhi: India. Under Review
Lombe, M., Nebbitt, V., Yu, M., Reynolds, A. & Sinha, A. (2014). Ch 29: Examining food security among
children in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households: Implications for human rights.
In Haymes, S., Vidal De Haymes, M. & Miller, R. (Eds.), Routlege Handbook for Poverty. 316-329
Nebbitt, V., Lombe, M, McKay, C.L. & Sinha, A. (2014). Correlates of academic performance among
school-age African American male adolescents in public housing. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, c, 6571.
Sinha, A. (2006). Youth and development go hand in hand. Dialogues. New Delhi: Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung.
Special Experiences
Conducted a pilot study on the "Integrated Child Development Scheme" in the Delhi Region for the Ministry of
Women and Child Welfare Department, India.
Selected Presentations
Sinha, A., Andrew D. Reynolds, A., Lombe, M. (January 2014). Examining food security among children
in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Implications for human
rights. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Social Work and Research, San Antonio, TX;
Sinha, A., Reynolds, A., Lombe, M. (January 2015). Examining effects of food security and food choices
on health outcomes in households in poverty. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Work
and Research, New Orleans, LA;
Crea, T., Reynolds, A., Sinha, A., Eaton, E.W., Robertson, L.A., Mushati, P., Dumba, L.T., Mavise, G.,
Makoni, J.C., Nyamukapa, C.A., Gregson, S. (January 2015). Health and social protection for orphans and
vulnerable children: Household cash transfers as mitigators of risk. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Society for Social Work and Research, New Orleans, LA.
Accomplishments
Designed and conducted pilot evaluation study on "Integrated Child Development Scheme" in Delhi Region, India.