Ms. Aparupa Patnaik

Aparupa Patnaik is currently serving as the Deputy Director at the Center for American Studies & School of Arts at KIIT & KISS University. She is a sociologist, Indian classical Odissi dancer, anchor, environmental advocate and doctoral student.

Aparupa has expertise in art curation, cultural preservation, and sociology. She has been involved in research and development initiatives to explore the intersection of art, culture, and society through interdisciplinary approaches. She oversees internship and volunteering activities at KISS and manages the India-Bangladesh Study and Cultural Center, a collaboration between the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Daffodil International University, Bangladesh. As a committee member of the KIIT Souvenir Gallery, she amplifies the voices of women entrepreneurs by showcasing their remarkable creations and championing their journey to market prominence within the gallery’s diverse and dynamic space.

She is a Gold Medallist in Sociology (Post Graduation – 2019) from Utkal University and an official constituency member of the Children and Youth Major Group of the United Nations Environment Programme. She has received both the Junior and Senior National Scholarships from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Aparupa has also been awarded the Mercedes-Benz Fellowship in Germany for her work as a changemaker in the field of climate change and sustainability. She is an empanelled and A+ graded artist with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and an anchor for Doordarshan National. Aparupa has been felicitated by various prestigious organizations, universities, and institutions for her contributions to dance and academics.