Design Research; Environment & Ecology; Decoloniality Studies; Environmental Humanities; Wet Ontologies; Environmental Philosophy; Transdisciplinary Research; Context-Sensitive Design; Architecture & Traditional Materials; Sustainabilty; Sustainable Development; Climate Change; Socio-Ecological Relationships; Ecological Justice; Environmental Law; Environmental Policy; Environmental Education; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Movement Arts; Movement Research; Multispecies Methods; More-than-Human Worlds; Other-than-Human; Alternative Ontologies; Wet Ontologies; Monsoon Studies; Sustainable Practices;Practice as Research; Transit-Oriented Development; Regional Planning; Environmental Planning; Ecological Design; Plant Humanities; Earth Humanities; Climate Adaptation; Eco-cultural Anthropology; Kinship Studies; Community Development; Water and Land; Island Studies

Education:
Doctor of Philosophy in Art, Design & Transdisciplinary Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India  (2021).

Master of City Planning, Department of City & Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA (2000). Focus: Sustainable Development & Environmental Planning.

Bachelor of Architecture, Manipal Institute of Technology, Mangalore University, India (1998). 
Focus: Climate-sensitive Architectural Design, Urban Design & Sustainability.

Professional Information:
Nodal Chair, South & Southeast Asia, Consortium of Environmental Philosophers (https://thinkingintheworld.com/)

Committee Member, Coastal & Marine Research Group, Royal Geographic Society (https://coastalmarineresearchgroup.wordpress.com/)

Steering Committee Member, Networking with Plants in the Anthropocene (https://networkingwithplants.org/)

Member, IUCN Commission on Education & Communication, South & Southeast Asia

Senior Advisor, Forum for Law, Environment, Development & Governance (FLEDGE India)

Awards and recognition:

• Research Grant, Andrea von Braun Stiftung, 2016

• Flash Grant, Shuttleworth Foundation, 2012

• Leadership Award, Department of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania, USA, May 2000

• Department Grant, Department of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania, USA, 1998-2000

• Editor of Storybook: "Malekaadina Kathegalu - Stories of the Rainforest", Manipal Universal Press, September 2023 (https://mup.manipal.edu/product/malekaadina-kathegalu/)

• Speaker: "Inhabiting an Aqueous World: Design Research for the Environment and Communities", Prof Rajani Prasanna Endowment Lecture Series on Climate Change and its impacts on Public Health, PSPH, MAHE, Manipal (October 2022) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkVIZcimy-U)

• Thinking in the World Film Series: Deepta Sateesh & Marcello di Paola have a conversation about cities, drawing lines, environment, weather, and agency, to initiate critical thought and creative action. Marcello and Deepta are both members of the Consortium of Environmental Philosophers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJcPlaXl0Pg. 

• Keynote: “Home: When Feet Dwell”. Avani Institute of Design Research Symposium, September 2021 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxGqSheiIfw&feature=emb_imp_woyt.

• Webinar: Design for Conservation Futures, 17th January 2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wKNC_OqbP8&feature=emb_imp_woyt.

• TEDx Talk: Design Imagination - Innovation to Invention, 15 February 2015 hosted by Narsi Monji Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7nWyyxOcyk.

• Presentation: "Wet Ontologies" - Collaborative video presentation on Eco-Pedagogies, Annual Conference of the Royal Geographic Society with IBG (September 2021), and Multiple Ecologies PhD Symposium (University of Plymouth) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RgIME95RLs.

• Report: Sustainable Development Goals & Climate Resilient Strategies, Wayanad, Kerala (2018/19) - https://dellaboratory.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/1811_wayanadreport-full-web.pdf

• News Article: "Climate change creeps up on Wayanad, Cong leader says should be top of agenda for next MP", Business Standard, 2019 - https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/climate-change-creeps-up-on-wayanad-cong-leader-says-should-be-top-of-agenda-for-next-mp-119051400698_1.html

• Author: "Tile Colonialism", India in Transition, CASI UPenn, 2017 - https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/iit/deeptasateesh

• New Article: "Creative meets Critical", Education Plus, The Hindu, 2015 - https://www.thehindu.com/features/education/Creative-meets-critical/article14019517.ece

• New Article: "The Journey of a Book", Metro Plus The Hindu, 2014 - https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/The-journey-of-a-book/article11642625.ece

• Editor of Storybook: "The Land where the Sticker Tree Grows", National Biodiversity Authority of India, 2014 (http://nbaindia.org/unep-gef/pub1/story.pdf)

• Head of Manipal Centre for Design with Environment through Education, Planning & Advocacy (DWEEPA) (November 2023 - present)

• Dr. TMA Pai Endowment Chair in Adaptive Ecologies & Climate Extremes – Decolonising the Anthropocene, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, July 2023 – present

• Dean, Research & Collaborations, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (April 2020 – October 2023)

• Director & Co-Founder, Design+Environment+Law Laboratory, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology (2012 – 2021) (www.dellaboratory.wordpress.com)

• Academic Dean of Postgraduate Program, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology (2017 – 2018)

• Visiting Scholar, Center for the Advanced Studies on India, University of Pennsylvania, USA (2017)

• Dean, School of New Humanities & Design, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology (2015 – 2017)

• Head of Strategy, Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, India (2009 – 2014)

• Visiting Faculty, RV School of Architecture, Bangalore, India (2008)

• Independent Consultant (urban design, graphic design, photography, marketing & communications), Bangalore, India (2006-2008)

• Business Development Executive, Jones Lang LaSalle, Bangalore, India (2005-2006)

• Urban Environmental Planner, Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, Philadelphia, USA (2004 - 2005) (www.wrtdesign.com)

• Urban & Regional Planner, Sasaki Associates, Inc., Boston, USA (2000 - 2004) (www.sasaki.com)

• Architect, Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1996 – 1997)