Archives: Meet Our India Fulbrighters

Saptarshi Saha

Saptarshi Saha is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. His doctoral research is focused on integrating causality into deep learning frameworks to enhance their utility. Beyond his immediate thesis goals, Saptarshi envisions a broader research trajectory aimed at utilizing deep learning for a deeper understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. His aim is to address various challenges such as improving the robustness, explainability, and interpretability of models, addressing issues with limited control over generative models, enhancing generalization performance under varying data distributions, dealing with learning using limited labelled data, promoting fairness in decision-making systems, and more. Saptarshi’s scholarly contributions extend to renowned journals such as TMLR and prominent conferences like ICLR. He has showcased his work at various research fora, such as Amazon Research Day 2023 and the Machine Learning Summer School in Okinawa, 2024.

Saptarshi holds a BS-MS dual degree in mathematics from IISER Kolkata. Throughout his BS-MS studies (2015–2020), he was a recipient of the INSPIRE fellowship from DST, Government of India.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, Saptarshi is trying to utilize causal knowledge and principles to assess data quality and make informed decisions (in the context of learning with not enough data) regarding samples that need to be labelled (from the large unlabelled dataset) rather than selecting them randomly. He is primarily working on the challenge of efficiently selecting the most relevant samples for labelling while considering budget constraints. This challenge holds excellent relevance not only in academic research but also within the AI industry. Saptarshi is an avid nature photographer and finds solace in the wilderness. His interests extend to culinary adventures, globetrotting, and engaging with diverse cultures. His leisure activities also include playing football and cricket.

Wasim Niyaz Munshi

Wasim Niyaz Munshi obtained his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, in 2021. He then joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras to pursue an integrated MS + Ph.D. in civil engineering. His doctoral thesis focuses on developing a robust phase-field model for fracture propagation. The developed model will leverage parallel computing on distributed memory environments and adaptive mesh refinement to offset the high computational costs.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Colorado State University, Boulder, CO, Wasim is addressing the key limitation of the phase-field method, which is its high computational cost. The eventual outcome of this research will result in a unique 3D subsurface fracture propagation capability that addresses a key bottleneck for several industrial applications such as geothermal energy, shale gas exploration, and composites. Wasim has presented his initial work at reputed conferences like CFRAC 2023 and ISTAM 2023. In addition to several high-impact research publications, this research will also facilitate long-term collaborations between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the host laboratory in the U.S. in a strategic area of national importance for both nations.

Coming from the picturesque valley of Kashmir, Wasim has a deep appreciation for nature. He loves spending time in nature and is particularly enthusiastic about hiking and camping. He enjoys travelling to new places and is very keen to learn about different cultures.

Sadaf Nausheen

Sadaf Nausheen is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Liberal Arts at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. She completed her MA in women’s studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and BA in political science from the University of Delhi. Such training has given her an interdisciplinary background which is reflected in her doctoral work that sits at the intersection of gender studies and urban studies. As an ethnographic study, her research focuses on narratives of Muslim women in understanding gendered experience of urban public space.

Nausheen has presented her work at several national and international conferences. She has also co-authored and published in a peer-reviewed international journal and other online fora. Sadaf has been a co-recipient of the Centenary Decade Undergraduate Research Grant funded by Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. Additionally, she undertook funded research as part of the Sponsored Studies Project by the Indian Association for Women’s Studies that allowed her to imbibe practices of reflexivity and empathy in doing qualitative work. Her doctoral research looks at the experiences of urban spaces by analysing the exclusions, claim making processes, and belongingness of Muslim women in Hyderabad, India. Focusing on how Muslim women navigate their access to public space in the city, the research attempts to mainstream marginalised voices in theorising women’s experiences. Furthermore, it takes into account the differences within the category of the ‘Muslim woman’ in order to bring out a heterogeneous understanding of the same.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, Sadaf is working on the methodological and analytical aspects of her Ph.D. project, while analysing the scope of intersectionality through various frameworks of study.

Sayari Misra

Sayari Misra is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), IIT Jammu. She completed her graduation in microbiology from Scottish Church College, Kolkata. After that, she did her post-graduation in social work (MSW) from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Durgapur and was awarded the institute gold medal for her academic performance. She has worked with Dr. S. Y. Quraishi (former Chief Election Commissioner of India) on his book on family planning titled The Population Myth as his research associate. Her research interests include themes of social stratification and inequality, social networks, and access to water and sanitation. Her ongoing doctoral study primarily focuses on mapping the accessibility to water resources and the social network structure of the rural communities of the Indian Sundarbans.

During extensive field visits in various remote locations in West Bengal, Sayari was drawn to the complex problem of climate-induced water-resource stress and associated vulnerabilities in resource-dependent communities like the Sundarbans. One key insight gained from her research is the pivotal role of social networks in influencing the accessibility of resources and mitigating vulnerabilities, especially among marginalized groups. However, the mechanism and importance of these social relationships in the context of water resource stress remain elusive.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Sayari is aiming to bridge the aforementioned knowledge gap by elucidating the nuanced interplay between social networks and water resource stress, particularly within marginalized communities.

Nilotpal Majumder

Nilotpal Majumder is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He is currently designing a biomimetic chemically modified silk fibroin gelatin bioink for 3D bioprinting of cartilage tissue. His doctoral thesis primarily focuses on modulating the associated chondrogenic signalling pathways using various small-molecule modulators to develop phenotypically stable articular cartilage grafts. He has publications in reputed journals like Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Healthcare Materials, and ACS Applied Material & Interfaces.

Nilotpal holds a BTech-MTech dual degree in biotechnology from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. He worked on a project funded by the government of India (BIRAC) as a project engineer to develop an automated electromagnetic wave-based tissue processing device.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Tufts University, Medfor, MA, Nilotpal is exploring various external cues (microgravity, magnetism) to induce cellular assembly within the 3D bio-printed constructs. The main objective of his research will be to develop a 3D bio-printed macroscale organoid that can closely recapitulate the native human tissue microarchitecture and physiology. In his free time, he enjoys reading non-fiction, watching sci-fi movies and television series, and exploring historical places.

Zehra Mahdi

Zehra Mahdi is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal. Her doctoral research focuses on neighborhood change in informal settlements that are predominantly inhabited by the Muslim community and influenced by the presence of anchor institutions. She employs visual geography along with oral research traditions to examine internal heterogeneity, particularly through the built environment, and capture residents’ perceptions and experiences.

Zehra holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi and a master’s degree in city planning from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal. She is a licensed architect and has worked on design and construction of public housing and healthcare infrastructure projects in the past.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, Zehra is exploring the role of infrastructural provision in gaining legitimacy in informal settlements. Her research will highlight the role of informal institutions, social capital and collective action in establishing channels of tacit understanding between the State and non-State actors. The study strives to contribute to the knowledge of the dynamics of informal settlements in the Global South. Zehra loves cycling, and enjoys curating cycling trails for exploration of heritage, food and art in cities.

Prashant Mahajan

Prashant Mahajan is a Ph.D. candidate at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Uttar Pradesh. He recently joined the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as a Scientist-C. He has previously been a recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). He completed his BSc in zoology in 2016 from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, and MSc in wildlife sciences from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). His doctoral work focusses on understanding the ecology of mesocarnivores in the Gir Protected Area, Gujarat.

Over the years Prashant’s focus has been on studying the ecology of large mammals in India, with a particular emphasis on wolf, tiger, leopard, elephant, and rhesus macaque. He was a part of the All-India Tiger Estimation Project (AITE) at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). He has presented his work in various national and international conferences and has also communicated his research findings through peer-reviewed and popular articles.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Prashant is trying to integrate insights from the U.S. ecosystem to add to the understanding of the mesocarnivores in India. He is specifically investigating the strength of interactions between large carnivores and mesocarnivores and how this governs the behavioural responses of the latter to the perceived predation risk. By undertaking this research, he aims to expand the understanding of carnivore ecology in India, particularly in relation to their behavioural aspects.

Avinash Kumar Pandey

Avinash Kumar Pandey is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. His doctoral work focuses on numerical modeling and studying the underlying physics of flow-induced vibrations of flexible/rigid bodies. As a child he would observe leaves swaying on the branches of trees and his country’s national flag fluttering in the wind. These later inspired him to work in his field of study. He has published papers in reputed journals and has participated in various national and international conferences and webinars.

Avinash holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from LNCT Bhopal, and a master’s in computational mechanics from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He has always been a meritorious student and has won numerous awards. His experience also includes working as a senior engineer at Larsen & Toubro Limited, Vadodara, Gujarat, performing the stress analysis of critical (high temperature and pressure) pipelines in a refinery.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, Avinash is developing a fully coupled fluid-structure-electric interaction-based numerical model that can be used to estimate the actual energy output from flow-induced vibrations (FIV) of rigid/ flexible plates. He aims to design FIV-based energy-harvesting devices suitable for inaccessible areas like deep oceans. As a student of mechanical engineering, he likes to learn about new car/ bike technologies. He also likes to play badminton and go for runs. He is fond of travelling, exploring new places, and learning about people of different cultures.

Sebin Joseph Sebastian

Sebin Joseph Sebastian is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kerala. His research focuses on the captivating domain of quantum magnetism, precisely unravelling novel magnetic phases, notably spin liquids in frustrated magnets.

A recipient of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) from the Government of India, Sebin has demonstrated exceptional academic prowess, reflected in noteworthy publications in esteemed journals. He has participated in national and international conferences and webinars, including the 2023 PMRF symposium where his work was highlighted, demonstrating his commitment to advancing the field. His presentation earned him the Best Poster award in the broad field of physics.

Starting his academic journey with a bachelor’s degree in physics from St. Berchmans College, Kottayam, Sebin seamlessly transitioned into an integrated Ph.D. (MS + Ph.D.) program at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. He is involved in teaching, especially offering coaching sessions to CSIR aspirants in and outside IISER. He showcased his versatility as a trained badminton player, securing the silver medal at the Inter-IISER Sports Meet in 2023 for badminton while serving as the men’s team captain

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Sebin exploring spin liquid signatures in trillium lattice antiferromagnets using nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. His research aims to shed light on these exotic magnetic phases, potentially contributing to the development of a robust platform for fault-tolerant quantum computation. His interests include exploring diverse cuisines and cultures, aligning with his passion for travel, music, and playing musical instruments.

Shankar Gugoloth

Shankar Gugoloth is a Ph.D. candidate and teaching assistant at the Department of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. He completed his master’s in political science from the University of Hyderabad, Telangana, and his bachelor’s in technology in production engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu. Shankar’s research interests include youth studies, education, youth aspirations, and politics. His work also elucidates the concept of “becoming” and the aspirations of marginalised youth through the idea of SWAEROS. In the past, Shankar held a senior tech associate position at the Bank of America, Hyderabad, for three years. His passion for social science led him to move from engineering to social science. He has written blogposts on various websites and presented his works at several national and international conferences.

Shankar’s doctoral thesis explores the question of the construction and cultivation of various identities within the single social category SWAEROS/ “The Society” students. He looks at aspiration formations among Dalit and tribal college-going youth (boys and girls) in Telangana, particularly among students enrolled in the Telangana Social Welfare Educational Institute Society (TSWREIS) schools in southern India. His doctoral work is ethnographic and uses visual ethnography to understand youth aspirations. TSWREIS is a state government-funded group of residential educational institutions for Dalit and tribal students in the state of Telangana.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, Shankar is engaging with some of the alumni of TSWREIS, to gain valuable insights into the experiences of marginalized students from the “Society” schools studying or working in the U.S. This will help him to explore the role of TSWREIS in shaping aspirations of marginalized communities, and collaboratively write and interpret an ethnographic account of youth aspirations and state engagement with the marginalized community.