Host Institution India: University of Colorado

Shakshi Bhardwaj

Ms Shakshi Bhardwaj is a PhD candidate in the Department of Polymer and Process Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Her research focuses on developing multifunctional hydrophobic cellulose nanofiber aerogels integrated with phase change materials for thermal energy storage and insulation. This work aims to contribute to sustainable solutions in the building and automotive sectors.

Shakshi earned her BSc in Chemistry from the University of Delhi in 2017, followed by an MSc in Organic Chemistry from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 2019. In 2022, she began her doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. Pradip Kumar Maji and was awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). She has bagged several awards at national and international conferences for excellence in research presentations.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Shakshi is conducting collaborative research at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work focuses on cellulose-based materials for thermal insulation and thermal management applications. She is engaged in literature review, scientific writing, and hands-on learning of advanced material characterization techniques with full support from the host research group. The collaborative research is expected to contribute to sustainable material innovations relevant to both India and the United States.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Shakshi is passionate about promoting eco-friendly technologies and hopes to bridge fundamental research with real-world applications in sustainable infrastructure.

Shantanu Kumar Behera

Dr. Shantanu Behera is currently an Associate Professor of Ceramic Engg. At NIT Rourkela. He holds a bachelor’s degree from NIT Rourkela and a Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA. He worked on analysing the atomic structural features of dopant segregated grain boundaries in alumina using transmission electron microscopy at Lehigh and synchrotron x-rays at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (NY, USA). Following his doctorate, he worked at the University of Colorado Boulder (USA) on various aspects of Polymer Derived Ceramics before relocating to India. Dr. Behera’s research interests over the last decade at NIT Rourkela includes development of nanostructures and hybrids from preceramic polymers with potential applications in batteries, supercapacitors, and in high temperature resistant bulk materials and coatings.

Dr. Behera was an invitee in the Indo-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium following which he was a Visiting Scientist at the Forschungszentrum Julich, Germany. He reviews scientific literature for more than 30 journals and is an outstanding reviewer for a few. He speaks regularly in his mother tongue (odia) in All India Radio on popular and informative scientific topics.

During his Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellowship, Dr. Behera aims to fabricate novel Si-C hybrids using preceramic polymers for application as efficient anodes for Li ion batteries. With his expertise in preceramic polymer processing, microstructural characterization, and the resources at CU Boulder, he plans to develop a series of Si-C nanostructures, test their electrochemical properties to gain insights on the processing, microstructure, and performance relationship in these materials.