Host Institution India: Drexel University

Harshit Pandey

Mr. Harshit Pandey is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. His doctoral research focuses on the processing and development of inorganic and organic materials for battery applications, with significant emphasis on collaborative work with research groups across India and the world. It addresses key challenges for next-generation batteries through the exploration of advanced material chemistries and scalable approaches.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Harshit completed his bachelor’s degree at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur. His work has been published in peer-reviewed international journals and presented at several national and international conferences. His research contributions were acknowledged through an international travel grant from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, providing him the opportunity to present his work at the International Battery Association Annual Meeting, 2025, in Singapore.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Harshit is aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial application by optimizing material processing and using advanced ultrasound techniques to monitor the physical and chemical health of batteries while they operate. Beyond his professional interests, he is a naturalist and a passionate mountaineer, enjoys nature and exploring the outdoors through trekking and hiking. He is also a guitarist and enjoys singing and songwriting.

Praveen Kumar

Dr. Praveen Kumar is working as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences (IACS), Kolkata. He did his Ph.D. from the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, followed by postdoctoral research at ISOM, UPM Madrid, Spain, as a Marie Curie Fellow. He is an Editorial Board Member of Materials Letters (Elsevier) and Nanotechnology (IOP) Journals. He has served as a Chair, Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Indian Chapter, funded by the European Commission from May 2017 to July 2021. He is also a member of The National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India and Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS).

Dr. Kumar’s research contribution covers a broad spectrum of materials science, including III-V semiconductors, 2D-Materials, MXenes, carbon nanostructures, etc., for various energy harvesting (PEC water splitting, CO2 reduction, broadband photodetectors) and storage (supercapacitors) applications. He has authored 89 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, filed 03 patents, more than 75 in conference proceedings, 09 books/chapters, and delivered around 52 invited talks around the globe. He is a recipient of several recognized awards and fellowships, including MRSI Medal 2021, MCAA Societal Impact Award (2019), DAE Young Achiever Award (2019), Micro Internal Travel Grants (MITG), European Commission (2018), BRICS Young Scientist Award (2017), INSPIRE Faculty Award (2014), and the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012).

Dr. Kumar’s Fulbright-Nehru project aims to develop facile synthesis processes for MXenes heterostructures and establish their optical, electronic, electrical, and magnetic properties by experimental and theoretical means for energy harvesting (water splitting and CO2 reduction) applications. He will also be teaching Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology courses at Drexel University.

Bokinala Moses Abraham

Dr. Bokinala Moses Abraham is National Postdoctoral Fellow in the group of Prof. Jayant K. Singh at IIT-Kanpur, which focuses on fusing density functional theory simulations with modern machine learning approaches to rationalize and accelerate the chemical design and discovery of novel materials. Dr. Abraham obtained his first-class B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in physics from Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Thereafter, he moved to the University of Hyderabad for a Ph.D. degree, where he pursued his own research ideas that enabled him to tackle multidisciplinary problems, such as those related to the study of materials at high-pressures, and understanding the physico-chemical properties of high-energy density materials.

Dr. Abraham has contributed to nearly 45 international publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has received several prestigious and competitive fundings for attending international conferences, which includes the RSC travel grant and the International Travel Support grant offered by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India. He also received funding from high parallel-computing HPC-Europa3 mobility program (2022) for a research stay of 3 months at the University of Barcelona (UB), Spain with Prof. Dr. Francesc Illas’ group. Dr. Abraham’s work towards design and development of highly efficient catalysts for CO2 conversion and hydrogen evolution reaction are seminal contributions to the field of catalysis.

Dr. Abraham is designing and developing a library of unique and fascinating MXene-supported single atom catalysts by fusing modern machine-learning approaches with experimental techniques during the Fulbright-Kalam Climate fellowship for Postdoctoral Research. Dr. Abraham believes that the scientific knowledge generated from this project would be utilized as a reference for CO2 reduction into hydrocarbon fuels, thereby helping meet real-world energy demands in a sustainable manner.

Abhijit Chowdhury

Abhijit Chowdhury is a screenwriter and director, working in the Bengali film and television industry in Kolkata. He has directed independent feature films, short films, and multiple popular and critically acclaimed Bengali web series, such as Manbhanjan, Johny Bonny, Astey Ladies, and Ekenbabu o Dhaka Rohosyo.

Abhijit is a guest lecturer at iLead, Kolkata, and several other institutions in the city, where he teaches filmmaking and screenwriting.

In his seven months as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, Abhijit will teach a 3-credit undergraduate course on specific aspects of Indian cinema, and also offer a writing course on episodic short-scripts. He will work with the Cinema Studies Department to add more diversity to their current course curriculum. During this time, Abhijit will direct a short film as well, using Drexel University’s production resources, which will offer experiential learning to the students on his crew.