Professor Biswas earned her BA from the University of New Delhi and received her PhD from the Department of Government and Politics at University of Maryland, College Park.  Dr. Biswas joined the Department of Political Science at Western Washington University in 2006.

Dr. Biswas grew up in several different countries and speaks English, Hindi, Bengali, French and a little Spanish.  Her research interests include International Relations, Ethnic and Civic Conflicts, Terrorism, and Diaspora Politics.  She has previously worked with Women in International Security, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (South Asia Division) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  She is the author of numerous publications and has presented at many national and international conferences.  In 2012-2013, Professor Biswas served as a policy advisor on South Asia to the United States Department of State.

At Western, Professor Biswas teaches courses on International Relations, Transnational Terrorism, Democratization, American Foreign Policy, International Intervention in Civil Wars, Conflict Processes & Conflict Resolution, and the Politics of South Asia.  She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Political Science department’s Honors program.  Qualified students are encouraged to contact her for more information about program qualifications and requirements. In her teaching, Dr. Biswas is passionate about applying theoretical rigor to policy questions.  She was featured in the 2016-2017 WWU Innovative Teaching Showcase on Critical Thinking.  Students should expect lots of discussion and debates about current events as well as a strong emphasis on clear and concise writing.