Namita Das Saha | Environmental Science | Excellence in Research

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Dr. Namita Das Saha | Environmental Science | Excellence in Research

Senior Scientist at NIRCA, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India

Dr. Namita Das Saha is a Senior Scientist at ICAR-CTRI, RS-Dinhata, West Bengal, India. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. Her research focuses on the impact of anthropogenic stressors like agricultural management practices, elevated CO2, temperatures, and ozone (O3) pollution on soil ecosystems, particularly soil biota and nutrient mineralization. She has contributed extensively to areas like microplastic contamination in soil, microbial mitigation techniques for greenhouse gas emissions, and biochar-based soil reclamation. She has also worked on enhancing the production and quality of crops like chili and turmeric using microbial interventions.

Publication Profile : 

Scopus

Education 🎓

Dr. Das Saha completed her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi (2011), with a focus on climate change variables affecting plant pathogenesis. She earned her M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from ICAR-IARI in 2007 and a B.Sc. (Ag.) Hons. from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, West Bengal, in 2004.

Professional Experience💼

Dr. Saha has a diverse career in academia and research. She currently serves as a Senior Scientist at ICAR-CTRI, Dinhata, West Bengal. Prior to this, she held various positions at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, including Senior Scientist and Scientist. She has also contributed to teaching at Central University of South Bihar and the Central University of Rajasthan.

Research Interests 🔬

Dr. Saha’s research interests span soil microbiology, biogeochemistry, climate change, and environmental science. She focuses on understanding how agricultural practices, such as organic farming, interact with elevated CO2 and ozone levels to affect soil microbial communities, enzymes involved in nutrient cycling, and soil health. Her work also delves into mitigating GHG emissions from agricultural soils and understanding the effects of microplastic contamination in farm soils.

Awards 🏅

Dr. Saha has received several prestigious awards throughout her career, recognizing her contributions to environmental science and agriculture. These include awards for her work on soil microbial diversity and contributions to sustainable agriculture practices under climate change.

Publications Top Notes 📚

  1. Das Saha, Namita et al. (2024). Vis-NIR spectroscopy based rapid and non-destructive method to quantitate microplastics: An emerging contaminant in farm soil. Science of the Total Environment Link. (Impact Factor: 9.8)
  2. Bhattacharyya, Ranjan et al. (2023). Elevated CO2 alters aggregate-carbon and microbial community but does not affect total soil organic C in the semi-arid tropics. Applied Soil Ecology Link. (Impact Factor: 5.31)
  3. Dutta, A. et al. (2023). Conventional and Zero Tillage with Residue Management in Rice–Wheat System in the Indo-Gangetic Plains: Impact on Thermal Sensitivity of Soil Organic Carbon Respiration and Enzyme Activity. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health Link. (Impact Factor: 4.54)
  4. Das, Sourav et al. (2022). Soil aggregate associated carbon and organic carbon pools as affected by conversion of forest lands to agriculture in an acid soil of India. Soil and Tillage Research Link. (Impact Factor: 7.42)
  5. Das Saha, Namita et al. (2021). Evaluation of Bt cotton effects on belowground microbial community structure and function in tropical western India. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Link. (Impact Factor: 2.86)

 

 

 

Divya P.V | Sustainable Materials | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Divya P.V | Sustainable Materials | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, India

Dr. Divya P.V. is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) at IIT Palakkad, with over 10 years of teaching and research experience, including 9.2 years post-PhD. She holds a Ph.D. from IIT Bombay and has previously served at VIT University and NIT Calicut. Her research expertise lies in Ground Improvement, Geosynthetics, Slope Stabilization, and Green-Geotechnics, and she has published 50 papers, including 25 in international journals. Dr. Divya has led several high-profile research and consultancy projects, receiving multiple awards for her contributions to geotechnical engineering, including the ISIGS-Smt. Indra Joshi Biennial Award and recognition for excellence in PhD research.

Publication Profile : 

Scopus

 

🎓 Educational Background :

  • Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) from IIT Bombay, India.
  • M.Tech
  • B.Tech

💼 Professional Experience :

Dr. Divya P.V. has over 10.6 years of academic and professional experience in geotechnical engineering, with 9.2 years of post-PhD experience. She is currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Palakkad, India, a position she has held since November 2021. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Professor at IIT Palakkad from July 2017 to November 2021. Her earlier roles include serving as an Associate Professor at VIT University, India, from January 2013 to December 2015, and as a Lecturer at NIT Calicut in 2006. Throughout her career, Dr. Divya has contributed significantly to geotechnical engineering education and research, guiding multiple PhD and MS students and managing various sponsored R&D and consultancy projects.

📚 Research Interests : 

Dr. Divya’s research focuses on a range of geotechnical engineering topics, including ground improvement, geosynthetics, reinforced soil structures, slope stabilization, and landslide mitigation. She is particularly interested in green-geotechnics, which involves sustainable practices in geotechnical engineering. Additionally, she employs centrifuge modelling and image analysis techniques in her research to better understand the behavior of soils and structures under various conditions.

📝 Publication Top Notes :

  1. Shaji, S., & Divya, P. V. (2024). Sustainable ground improvement of soft clay using eggshell lime and rice husk ash. Construction and Building Materials, 441, 137460.
  2. Anita, A., & Divya, P. V. (2024). Construction and demolition waste as a sustainable backfill for geosynthetic-reinforced MSE walls. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering, 10(3), 36.
  3. Sebastian, S., & Divya, P. V. (2024). Natural fibres: A sustainable material for geotextile applications. Indian Geotechnical Journal, 54(3), 1056–1072.
  4. Divya, P. V. (2024). Geosynthetic reinforced soil structures: Forensic investigation on failures and remedial measures. Indian Geotechnical Journal, 54(1), 258–265.
  5. Musaib, A., & Divya, P. V. (2024). Digital soil mapping of residual lateritic soils in Kerala using interpolation methods. In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (Vol. 476, pp. 301–312).
  6. Dhanya, K. A., Venkatesh, T. S. D., & Divya, P. V. (2023). Influence of suction on the interface characteristics of unsaturated marginal lateritic soil backfills with composite geosynthetics. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering, 9(6), 73.
  7. Dhanya, K. A., Vibha, S., & Divya, P. V. (2023). Coupled flow-deformation analysis of MSE wall reinforced with hybrid geogrids. International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering, 9(4), 45.
  8. Anita, A., Karthika, S., & Divya, P. V. (2023). Construction and demolition waste as valuable resources for geosynthetic-encased stone columns. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste, 27(2), 04022047.
  9. Dhanya, K. A., Vibha, S., & Divya, P. V. (2023). Performance of lateritic soil slopes at the onset of rainfall infiltration. Indian Geotechnical Journal, 53(1), 107–126.
  10. Musaib, A., & Divya, P. V. (2023). Incorporation of unsaturated soil properties in the prediction of rainfall induced landslides using TRIGRS and Scoops3D models. In Geotechnical Special Publication, 2023-March(GSP 338), 509–520.