Field of Study India: Climate

Rajani Panchang

Dr. Rajani Panchang is an Assistant Professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University. She was recruited under UGC’s prestigious Faculty Recharge Program. She earned her PhD from CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography, Panaji, Goa, and secured tenured appointments as Woman Scientist at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune and SERB Fast-Track Scientist at IISER Pune under various research programs of the Government of India’s Department of Science & Technology. She is a geological oceanographer specializing in marine micropaleontology. While her forte remains Recent Benthic Foraminiferal taxonomy, her research interests are reconstruction of past climates, understanding human-climate interactions, monitoring coastal ecosystems and changing ocean dynamics, particularly coastal processes and ecosystems in light of climate change. She has research grants from the Ministry of Earth Sciences to study ocean acidification in the Arabian Sea. She is an ardent teacher and a PhD supervisor passionate about society-centric ocean research.

Dr. Panchang is a recipient of the Mani Shankar Shukla Gold Medal & Research Fellowships from DAAD, CSIR, Lila Poonawalla Foundation and Hindustan Unilever. She has been felicitated by former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam for being an outstanding LILA Fellow in the field of Oceanography.

During her fellowship, Dr. Panchang is quantifying the responses of marine bio-calcifiers, essentially coral reef foraminifera, to ocean acidification through field studies in the Florida Reef Tract and laboratory experiments. Her work will also integrate analysis of atmospheric data and bio-calcifying specimens collected since the 1980s.

Suddhasatwa Basu

Prof. Suddhasatwa Basu completed PhD in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) Chair Professor on Clean Energy at IIT Delhi. He was the Director of CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar and the Director of Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad. He has vast work experience on development of materials for energy conversion and storage devices – green H2 generation & fuel cell technologies and Na/Zn ion battery, electro-synthesis, and waste-to-wealth technologies for a circular economy. He has published more than 280 articles in high-impact journals with H-index 53, applied for 16 patents of which 10 were granted and transferred to technologies. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Science of India, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry UK. He has received many awards. He has been editor, associate editor and editorial board member of several international journals.

During the fellowship at Washington University in St Louis, Prof Basu is working on development of technology for conversion of biomass/stubble-derived chemicals to hydrogen and furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) using an electrolyzer. The simultaneous production of FDCA alongside hydrogen in an electrolyzer will not only help to establish hydrogen economy but disrupt the polymer industry by producing monomers of bioplastics. The electrolyzer stack development envisaged will be operated under ambient conditions, making it environment-friendly and less energy-intensive by utilizing electrical power from solar photovoltaic resources.

Revathi Ponnuswamy

Dr. Revathi Ponnuswamy is a Senior Scientist (Plant Breeding) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad, India with 17 years of rich experience in rice research. She was awarded a PhD in Genetics from the premier agricultural research institution, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. She is one of the meritorious scientists who as Principal Investigator successfully spearheaded multi-disciplinary research projects by securing competitive research grants from various organizations, including Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), and ICAR.

Her achievements as a successful researcher and plant breeder are reflected in her peer-reviewed publications and development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, and stress-tolerant rice varieties and hybrids to smallholder farmers of India. She has received several awards and fellowships. In her capacity as an educator, she has mentored and guided the academic pursuits of several MSc and PhD students.

During her fellowship at University of California, Davis, Dr Revathi is training in a breakthrough synthetic apomixis technology from the lab where it was invented. Her research project aims to enhance rice production and productivity amidst rapidly changing climatic conditions through synthetic apomixis, which could save on rice hybrid seed cost of millions of resource-poor farmers in India.

Salvador Lyngdoh

Dr. Salvador Lyngdoh, Scientist E and Associate Professor, is a wildlife biologist specializing in carnivore ecology, movement ecology, habitat conservation, and human-wildlife interactions. With extensive research experience in the Indian Himalayas and other biodiverse regions, he has contributed significantly to understanding lesser-known species such as Himalayan wolves, dholes, snow leopards, pangolins and clouded leopards. He is a member of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) specialists’ groups on cats, canids, pangolins and small carnivores.

During his Fulbright-Kalam Fellowship for Academic and Professional Excellence, Dr. Lyngdoh is studying the dynamics of wolf predation, prey behavior and habitat change in the context of climate change. Grey wolves play essential roles in most of their ranges by exercising top-down cascade effects on ecosystems. The proposed study aims to understand how climate change (past, present, and future) can affect predation by wolves (consumptive effects). It also aims to examine, if otherwise, climate-driven manifestations (environmental stressors) of non-consumptive nature can influence predation behavior (bottom-up cascades).

Sujatra Bhattacharyya

Mr Sujatra Bhattacharyya is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He has a keen interest in understanding the physics behind the large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic processes associated with tropical systems, such as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and monsoons. Currently, he is conducting research on South Asian monsoons.

Sujatra’s research aims to identify and understand the mechanisms behind the dominant modes of the seasonal rainfall cycle over India. Simultaneously, he is examining the zonal and meridional shifts of precipitation bands during the boreal summer in the South Asian region using an energetics approach.

As a Fulbright-Kalam fellow, Sujatra is investigating the roles of MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation) and ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) in Indian monsoons after the onset phase is established. He is also comparing the influences of various Intraseasonal Oscillations (ISO) on the development of the spatio-temporal moisture field over India.

Sujatra earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons.) in Physics from the University of Delhi and MSc Tech) in Geophysics with a specialization in meteorology from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) since August 2022. He also teaches various Mathematics and Physics courses on national platforms such as NPTEL and Andhra University as part of the PMRF program. He has presented his work at several international and national conferences. He enjoys teaching, table tennis and travelling.

Shailina Srivastava

Ms. Shailina Srivastava is a PhD scholar in the Aerosol Group of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai. Under the mentorship of Prof. Sachin S. Gunthe, her research focuses on the intricate interactions between aerosols from diverse regions across the Indian subcontinent, water vapor, and UV radiation under subsaturated conditions. She has conducted extensive measurement campaigns, ranging from southern India to the Himalayan region, collecting ambient aerosol samples to investigate how variations in aerosol properties influence cloud formation, precipitation processes, and the atmospheric evolution of these particles.

Shailina holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences (Environmental Technology) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and a bachelor’s degree in Botany and Industrial Microbiology from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The unique climatic conditions of India inspired her to delve into this critical area of research, contributing to a better understanding of the nation’s climate dynamics. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys reading and traveling.

As a Fulbright-Kalam Fellow, Shailina is conducting experimental work at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, under the supervision of Dr. Pengfei Liu. Her experiments focus on generating atmospherically relevant organic aerosols from various precursors and examining their interactions with water vapor and UV radiation. She employs advanced techniques and instruments, including the quartz crystal microbalance, to gain deeper insights into these processes.

Rinu Fathima

Ms. Rinu Fathima is a PhD candidate at the CSIR National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India. After finishing her master’s in Applied Geology from Pondicherry University, her passion for marine sciences took her to the National Institute of Oceanography in Panaji, Goa. Her research focuses on understanding past monsoon variability using marine microfossils known as foraminifera. She uses their assemblage and shell geochemistry to understand past climate. She studies the ecology of foraminifera in surface samples and further calibrates the proxies before using them in paleoclimate studies.

Rinu has published her work in multiple research journals and presented it at several national and international conferences. She was one of the two recipients of the American Geophysical Union-Berkner travel grant in 2024. During her master’s, she also received the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology-sponsored summer trainee grant, which helped her study tree rings to decode past climate. She has also participated in ocean expeditions onboard the research vessel Sindhu Sankalp.

At Rutgers during her fellowship, Rinu is using trace element geochemistry of the core top samples from the Andaman basin as a proxy calibration and will use this to understand past monsoon variability in a sediment core. Rinu is an avid consumer of fiction, cinema, and books. You can also find her watching sunsets or hiking during her free time. From one coastal city to the next, Rinu is looking forward to exploring the beaches of New Jersey during her time at Rutgers.

Ayan Sarkar

Mr. Ayan Sarkar is a PhD candidate at the Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. He completed BSc in Agricultural Sciences from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal, in 2020, and MSc in Agronomy from ICAR-IARI in 2022. During MSc, he worked on evaluating new-generation fertilizers such as nano-urea and herbicide mixture-based weed management in wheat, publishing his findings in reputed journals. He has also co-authored a number of publications and presented papers at various national and international conferences.

As a Fulbright-Kalam Doctoral Research Fellow, Ayan is working on knowledge-guided machine learning, i.e., coupling machine learning with crop simulation models to identify low-emission and sustainable production pathways in rice-based systems. This innovative approach aims to optimize yield-emission trade-offs and develop climate-resilient agricultural strategies, particularly for small and marginal farmers.

Beyond academics, Ayan is passionate about cricket, badminton, fine arts, and cooking. He donates blood and promotes blood donation awareness. Through his research, he aspires to empower farmers with practical, climate-proofing solutions, contributing to a future where agriculture balances profitability and environmental sustainability.

Anubhav Preet Kaur

Dr. Anubhav Preet Kaur is a postdoctoral researcher at Ashoka University, Sonipat, Haryana. She completed her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali where she worked on human-environment interface during Early to Middle Pleistocene (2.58-0.4 Ma) in northern India. She was also a predoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Dr. Kaur has received numerous prestigious international grants throughout her doctoral and postdoctoral career from the Leakey Foundation, Paleontological Society, Royal Anthropological Institute, Lithic Studies Society, Society for American Archaeology and the Palaeontological Association. Additionally, she was a recipient of the John C. Graff International Paleontology Award given by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Her research endeavors have garnered recognition on national and international platforms.

During her Fulbright-Kalam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Arizona, Dr. Kaur is working on reconstructing prehistoric climate variability to understand evolution of human adaptability and resilience in the context of South Asian paleoclimate variability throughout the Late Cenozoic period (~3 million years) and current rapid climate change crisis.

Parth Dharmendrabhai Shah

Dr. Parth D. Shah is a Research Associate at the University of Haifa, Israel. He earned his BS-MS degrees in Chemical Sciences from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali and later pursued his PhD at the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, Israel. His doctoral work focused on paleoclimate reconstruction in the southern Arabian Desert, with a special focus on understanding the impact of climate change on various ecosystem components.

Dr. Shah is the recipient of various prestigious scholarships, including the PBC scholarship from the Council for Higher Education, Israel, for his doctoral studies. During his PhD, he was also awarded the IAS 2023 Postgraduate Grant and NSF-funded Visiting Graduate Student Program (VGSP) at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, he received the INSPIRE fellowship from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, during his BS-MS at IISER Mohali.

As a Fulbright-Kalam Postdoc Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Shah is focusing on reconstructing high-resolution climate variability in the Western Himalayas using lacustrine sediments from Tso Kar Lake. By employing a multi-proxy approach including geochemical, sedimentological, and isotopic analysis, his work aims to understand the connections between monsoon dynamics, atmospheric circulation, and regional hydrology during the Holocene. This work will provide vital insights into the drivers of past climatic shifts, their impact on human societies, and their relevance to addressing modern challenges in climate adaptation and mitigation.