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About
Neil Potnis is an Indian American media artist, designer, and educator exploring the intersection of digital literacy and global movements. He leads the Disruptve Studio - an interdisciplinary think tank developing media technologies to alleviate civic apathy.
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Potnis is currently pursuing a PhD in International and Comparative Education at Columbia University, where he is a Doctoral Fellow in the ICEd program and a Research Associate at the Center for Sustainable Futures. His practice stems from three distinct disciplines: media studies, education, and sociology, where his current research explores how digital media fosters localized climate action through social network systems in South Asia and North America. He holds an MSc in Computational Design Practices from Columbia University GSAPP, and a BS (Hons) in Arts and Entertainment Technologies from the UT School of Design and Creative Technologies.
Before his PhD, Potnis served as a Design Fellow at Columbia Entrepreneurship and Columbia World Projects, where he led social impact workshops for diverse groups, including the Obama Foundation Scholars and Columbia's Business School. His previous research roles include working at Columbia’s Natural Materials Lab, where he developed tools for climate education; Northeastern University's CAMD, where he studied educational approaches to improve constructive communication in online spaces; and labr, where he helped create the first climate marketplace for direct action.
Neil’s work aims to uncover the broader role of digital media in shaping civic education and its capacity to drive public action worldwide. Through this vision, he aspires to merge social impact with art, exploring innovative methods to communicate research and data to diverse audiences in compelling ways.
Awards & Recognitions
Doctoral Fellowship • Issued by Columbia University
Design Fellowship • Issued by Columbia University
Avery Scholarship • Issued by Columbia University GSAPP
World-Changing Students Distinction • Issued by the University of Texas
University Honors • Issued by the University of Texas
Special Honors, Arts and Entertainment Technologies • Issued by UT SDCT
Gratitude
Lola Ben-Alon, Gray Garmon, MJ Johns, Laura Kurgan, Patty Norrell, Oren Pizmony-Levy,
Brooks Protzmann, Caroline Rock, Adam Royalty, Honoria Starbuck