About

I am a doctoral student at ATREE, Bengaluru (affiliated with Manipal Academy for Higher Education) and my research focuses on the ecohydrology and ecosystem services of Myristica swamps, a type of freshwater swamp forest found in select wet evergreen patches of the Western Ghats of India. My work involves studying the seasonal hydrology of these wetlands, the degradation and fragmentation of these swamps and the causes behind these changes in the larger landscape, as well as studies to understand the ecology of swamp trees and the potential for the restoration of degraded swamps with involvement of local stakeholders.

Prior to beginning my doctoral research, I worked as a consultant and a research associate on various projects on river ecology, hydrology modelling (GIS, HEC-RAS, Google Earth Engine), species distribution modelling, wildlife ecology in the Western Ghats, human-wildlife conflict, conservation education, and corridor ecology. My work experience is primarily in India, although I completed my B.Sc. in Environmental Geology and Biology from the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA) and my M.E.M. Environmental Management (Ecosystem Science and Conservation) from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment (Durham, USA).

Apart from research, I am pursuing a B.A. in Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form and am part of the IUCN's pioneering certificate course on Wetlands Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation. I am an active writing mentor with Scholastic-India's Young Writers' Academy, where I mentor school students in storytelling and writing, and have conducted multiple workshops on popular science writing, grant writing, and other skills for college students and professionals in my field.