Host City India: Washington

Rajnish Jain

Dr. Rajnish Jain is Secretary at the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is the highest regulatory agency for higher education in India. Under his stewardship, the UGC has made significant advances in promoting quality higher education and implementing the National Education Policy 2020 in areas of multidisciplinary and holistic education, governance and curricular reforms, internationalization, skill education, digitalization of higher education, along with increasing access and promotion of gender and social equity in higher education. For over 33 years, Dr. Jain has made significant contributions as a teacher, researcher, trainer, administrator, and policymaker. Before his appointment as Secretary of UGC, he was a Professor at the Institute of Management Studies at Devi Ahilya University, Indore, and Nirma University, Ahmedabad, among other institutions. He has developed several academic courses and programs and has organized management development and training programs for organization of the public and private sector. His research and publications are in quality education, value-based education, services management, strategic management, and customer experience. He has guided 15 PhD research scholars. He represented India in numerous bilateral and multilateral forums for effective external stakeholder relationships and strategic engagement with foreign countries.

Home Institution: The University Grants Commission was established by an Act of Parliament in 1956 and is a statutory body under the aegis of the Indian Ministry of Education. The organization is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education in the country. India has a large postsecondary education system with more than 1,000 universities and over 42,000 colleges. The number of students enrolled in higher education is currently about 40 million across India. The UGC undertakes initiatives for access, equity, quality, affordability, accountability, excellence, and internationalization in higher education. It provides regulatory architecture, policy frameworks and guidelines, along with financial support to higher education institutions, faculty members and students. The UGC’s main office is in New Delhi, and it has six regional centers in Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Bengaluru.

Kuljeet Kaur Marhas

Dr. Kuljeet Kaur Marhas is a Professor in Planetary Science Division at Physical Research Laboratory. She has been working in three sub divisions of planetary sciences (A) early evolution of Solar system (analyzing early forming solids to understand origin and evolution of Solar System), (B) presolar grains and nucleosynthesis (analyzing presolar/circumstellar grains to understand stellar evolution), (C) differentiated objects (other Solar system bodies like Moon, Mars via meteorites). Dr. Marhas has also been involved in analyzing samples from sample return missions by NASA, JAXA to understand several aspects of solar system formation. Several new scientific (theoretical and experimental) and technical projects have been initiated by her, with her recent/new interest in hydrothermal alterations and volatile transport in/at asteroidal regions.

Dr. Marhas earned her Ph.D. from Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), India, in 2001. With her new experiences achieved during her postdoctoral period at Max Planck Institute for chemistry, Mainz (2002-2005) and Washington University, St. Louis (2005-2007) she brought expertise in small grain analyses and set up her laboratory in Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad.

The grand objective of the Dr. Marhas’s Fulbright-Nehru project is to understand nucleosynthesis and temporal evolution of physico-cosmochemical conditions in novae by isotopic studies of sulphur and other elements in presolar nova grains found in meteorites. Specifically, the proposal approach is to analyze a few tens of potential presolar novae grains using C and N isotopic measurements, and subsequently measure their S isotopes to compare them with the latest nova and SN models to unequivocally establish their genealogy and provenance.

Sateesh Bino Sathiadhas

Sateesh Bino is the Deputy Inspector General of Police in the Indian state of Kerala. He is a 2008 batch Indian Police Service officer. He has approximately 15 years of experience, including serving as the police chief in five districts of Kerala where he supervised sensitive investigations, ensured law and order, and initiated several well-appreciated community policing initiatives, specifically focusing on prevention of drug abuse and trafficking. In 2023, Sateesh was a global fellow with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He is a certified Resilience Trainer of the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Apart from his professional accomplishments, Sateesh is an avid fitness enthusiast, being an ultra-marathoner and a triathlete. He has completed two full IRONMAN triathlons (Maryland 2022, Texas 2023). He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Indian School of Business and a doctorate in managerial economics. As a Humphrey Fellow, Sateesh will focus on law and human rights. He intends to study international best practices in ensuring human rights and contribute to the development of standard operating procedures for law enforcement in this direction.

Pampa Panwar

Prof. Pampa Panwar is a Professor at IICD, Indian Institute of Crafts & Design, Jaipur, Rajasthan. Before completing her master’s from Slade School of Fine Art, University College London under Commonwealth Scholarship in 1993, Prof. Panwar earned her MFA from M.S. University, Vadodara and her BFA from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.

On a French Government Scholarship, Prof. Panwar was artist-in-residence at CAMAC, Centre d’Art, Marnay-sur-Seine, France and she did a Swiss Arts Council’s research residency at Lucerne School of Art & Design, Switzerland. She was also awarded a Senior Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. She conceptualized, directed, costume-designed and performed a dance-based video art – Gently, into the other side of time, which received the National Exhibition Award – Senior Category at 29th National Exhibition of Contemporary Art, South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

During her Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence fellowship, Prof. Panwar aims to explore the importance of contemporary crafts as a continuing narrative with focus on narrative quilts, and how craft has merged into art and vice-versa in the contemporary context of both India and the US. By studying the case of the Gee’s Bend quilters of Alabama, her project considers the following questions: how have these quilts come to define a community and expression of a culture? Is it possible to apply the classic Indian understanding of nine effective states of Navarasa within an American context? Narrative quilts serve as a lens for exploring these questions. Ultimately, with the help of her research, she plans to develop an inter-disciplinary visual work at her host Institution.

Liyi Marli Noshi

Born into a family of 12 in remote Arunachal Pradesh, India, Liyi Noshi has defied societal expectations to become a lawyer and activist in New Delhi.

In her 16 years of legal career, Liyi has focused on social justice issues, particularly racial discrimination, child sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence and human trafficking, as an acclaimed champion for marginalized communities in India. She has secured legal representation for over 400 victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. Notably, her advocacy led to the establishment of a special police unit for Northeast Indians in Delhi. She has co-founded Helping Hands, a legal team working with Delhi Police to combat racial discrimination. Her dedication has also seen her collaborate with inspiring figures like senior advocate Indira Jaising, and various organizations which are working on issues of women and children.

Committed to long-term impact, Liyi seeks to empower vulnerable communities through policy changes and upskilling initiatives. As a Hubert H. Humphrey fellow at the American University, Washington, DC she is continuing with this endeavor. The fellowship will equip her with the knowledge and network to refine these goals and create lasting change.

Manabendra Saharia

Dr. Manabendra Saharia is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. He obtained his PhD in water resources engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Saharia has received young scientist awards from the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (ISEES). Before joining IIT Delhi, Dr. Saharia worked in the hydrology labs of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. His primary expertise is in developing techniques and systems for monitoring and mitigating natural hazards such as floods and landslides, with a special focus on the worst-affected regions of the world. His research seeks to disentangle the complex relationships between geomorphology, climate, precipitation, and runoff generation using physics-based and data-driven models.

During his Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship for Academic and Professional Excellence, Dr. Saharia is studying how one can incorporate reservoir models into land data assimilation systems for better assessment of climate change impacts. This includes incorporation or satellite and ground-based observations of reservoir water levels using a multi-source reservoir operation scheme. The goal is to quantify the impact of reservoirs on water storage, floods, and droughts, and also, to assess how reservoirs are responding to ongoing climate change and what measures would be required in the future

Amiya Kumar Sahoo

Dr. Amiya Kumar Sahoo is a senior scientist at ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal. He obtained his PhD in aquaculture, specialising in fish health, from the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University in 2011. He has been instrumental in Fish and River Health linking with National Mission Programmes including the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and the National Surveillance Programme on Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD). Dr. Sahoo is principal investigator of a multidisciplinary project on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in fisheries and aquaculture under the technical guidance of FAO, which is a first of its kind in India with a national identity of Indian Network on Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR).

Dr. Sahoo is a member of Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of River Valley Projects of MoEFCC since 2016. He is guest editor of Environmental Science and Pollution Research and Frontiers of Marine Science, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India.

During his Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship for Academic and Professional Excellence, Dr. Sahoo is investigating on the epidemiological tools for surveillance and effective strategies towards combating AMR in fisheries and aquaculture, an integral part of One Health.

Gaurav Pandey

Dr. Gaurav Pandey earned his Ph.D. from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat in 2023. His doctoral research focused on utilizing halloysite nanotubes loaded with various guest molecules for diverse biological applications. Throughout his Ph.D. journey, he consistently addressed environmental concerns, including heavy metal remediation, waste reduction, and pesticide sensing. He holds a master’s degree in forensic nanotechnology with a specialization in nanobiotechnology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu. He was awarded gold and silver medals for his master’s and bachelor’s degrees, respectively. Dr. Pandey has qualified national-level exams, namely UGC NET JRF (in forensic science) in 2019 and GATE (in biotechnology) in 2016. He has authored over 30 publications, including research papers, review articles, a co-authored book, and book chapters.

Dr. Pandey’s research interests encompass leveraging naturally occurring clay-based nanomaterials to tackle contemporary environmental challenges, including mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, combating plastic pollution, and addressing water contamination issues.

As a Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Pandey’s project is investigating the degradation of plastic waste using halloysite nanotube-based nanocomposites. The outcomes of this research have the potential to aid India in reducing its plastic waste burden and working towards the goal of becoming a low-plastic waste producing country by 2050.

Shameer Modongal

Dr. Shameer Modongal completed his Ph.D. in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He also holds M.A and M.Phil. degrees in international relations from the same institution, as well as an M.A in political science from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. Dr. Modongal’s scholarly achievements include qualifying for the Junior Research Fellowship and the National Eligibility Test of the University Grants Commission in international and area studies, as well as the National Eligibility Test in political science.

In the realm of academic publications, Dr. Modongal has made significant contributions, notably publishing two books in 2022: Islamic Perspectives on International Conflict Resolution: Theological Debates on the Israel-Palestinian Peace Process (Routledge) and Religion and Nuclear Weapons: A Study of Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan (Vij Books India). Additionally, he co-edited the book Counterterrorism and Global Security: Genesis, Responses and Challenges (Vij Books India) in 2021. He also serves as an editor or reviewer for many prestigious international journals, including the British Journal of Political Science (Cambridge University Press) and Cogent Social Sciences (Taylor and Francis).

As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research fellow at the American University, Washington, D.C., Dr. Modongal is engaged in exploring the dynamics between American Islamic scholars and organizations amidst conflicting interests of pro-Israel U.S. government policies and pro-Palestinian Muslim community interests. His research examines how the Islamic discourse in the U.S. shapes perceptions regarding the formation of Israel and the friendly relations of Muslim countries with it, as well as the discourse among Islamic scholars and organizations surrounding the support that the U.S. extends to Israel.