Founded in 1707, the Society of Antiquaries of London is a preeminent organization for antiquarian scholarship—the study of history through the physical remnants of past civilizations. Election to its fellowship recognizes exceptional contributions to archaeology, art history, architectural history or related fields.

“I am honored and delighted to be elected to a Society whose members have been driven by wonder, curiosity and a desire to better understand the world around them, for more than three centuries,” says Ray. “The Fellowship is a reminder that the humanities and arts have long been vital to all knowledge creation.”

Examining the British Raj

Ray’s election honors her distinguished scholarship on the art and architecture of the British Empire in India. Her research explores the intersection of British aesthetic traditions and Indian visual culture during the colonial era, offering critical insights into how artistic practices both shaped and reflected the complex dynamics of empire and identity under the British Raj. Through her work, Ray exemplifies how Syracuse University scholars foster cross-cultural dialogue and bridge disciplines across global contexts.

The fellowship comes as Ray continues to lead major research initiatives funded by premier cultural agencies. Most recently, she served as principal investigator for "Take Me to the Palace of Love," a National Endowment for the Arts-funded project. This exhibition at the Syracuse University Art Museum showcased the work of contemporary Indian American artist Rina Banerjee and earned Ray and her team a 2024 Engaging Communities Award from the Museum Association of New York.

Prior to that, Ray directed a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) project titled "Taj of the Raj? Decolonizing the Imperial Collections, Architecture and Gardens of the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata." This international collaborative research initiative brought together scholars from the United Kingdom, United States and India to examine India's most visited museum through a critical, decolonial lens. The project culminated in a major symposium at Yale University, where Ray partnered with Tim Barringer, Paul Mellon Professor of the History of Art at Yale, to convene academics from around the world.

The primary focus of Ray’s scholarship is on tea in India, for which she has conducted extensive research on tea plantations in India and Sri Lanka, and in archives, museums and private collections across three continents. She is currently completing a book manuscript titled, Leafy Wonder: Art, Science, and the Landscapes of Tea in India, for which she has received support from the NEH, the Caird Library (Royal Museums Greenwich, London), Yale Center for British Art, the Huntington Library and the CUSE Grant Program at Syracuse. Ray’s tea research has led to collaborations with historians, curators, plant scientists, tea planters and pickers, and tea industry experts in India, Britain and the United States. She serves on the editorial board of De Gruyter Brill’s newly instituted Global Tea Studies book series.

Continuing Impact on the Field

Adding to her scholarly profile, Ray recently joined the advisory council of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, the London-based educational and research institute that has been instrumental in supporting her work throughout her career. She received a research grant from the Centre in 2009, and was awarded a fellowship for doctoral research in 1996, making her current advisory role a meaningful opportunity to support the next generation of scholars.

Ray also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Plant Humanities Initiative at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University’s acclaimed research center in Washington, D.C., where she taught a module on tea for the Summer 2025 Plant Humanities Summer Program. The session saw Todd B. Rubin ’04 (School of Architecture), minister of evolution (president) for The Republic of Tea, conduct a tea tasting for the students.