UCSB Launches South Asian American Studies Center
A $750,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation establishes a new hub for research and curriculum at the university.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Asian-American
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The University of California at Santa Barbara has established a South Asian American studies center supported by a $750,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. The new hub aims to formalize pipelines for academic research and interdisciplinary study.
Why it matters
The center addresses the lack of centralized institutional support for South Asian American studies research. It provides a formal framework to foster scholarly development and public-facing project partnerships within the field.
The grant covers four years of programming including curriculum development and fellowships, building on a field that has existed in academia for 30 years. An inaugural symposium for the center featured 20 scholars.
The players
Mellon Foundation
This private foundation makes grants in the humanities and arts to support research and institutional development.
University of California at Santa Barbara
This public research university is a member of the Association of American Universities and is part of the University of California system.
Jigna Desai
She is a professor and faculty co-lead who specializes in Asian American and gender studies.
Sameer Pandya
He is a professor and faculty co-lead whose work focuses on race, culture, and South Asian American identity.
The details
Co-led by professors Jigna Desai and Sameer Pandya, the center will support undergraduate curriculum development and graduate research. Programming includes summer internships, dissertation fellowships, and manuscript workshops to expand scholarly access.
Timeline
Funding supports academic programming over the next four years.
Culture Shift
The center follows a documented national trend of expanding Asian American studies programs over the past two decades. This development reflects a broader societal move to formalize and integrate underrepresented cultural histories into higher education.
Students at the university gain access to new summer internships, research fellowships, and open-access curricula supported by the grant. Local residents may see increased opportunities to engage with the university through the center's planned public-facing project partnerships.
The takeaway
The creation of this center provides a structured pathway for students and researchers to explore South Asian American history and culture. These institutional investments help ensure that specialized ethnic studies fields remain a permanent component of academic research.
Further reading
For more on evolving academic departments, see our Asian-American section.
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Should universities prioritize the creation of dedicated research centers for specific ethnic or cultural studies?
