New Delhi — Four professors from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have been named to the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) list of 50 Inspirational Women in STEM Education in India. The industry body says the list was compiled to inspire future generations of women technology leaders.
Prof Davinder Kaur Walia, senior faculty in the Department of Physics and the Center for Nanotechnology; Prof Debrupa Lahiri, faculty in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and the Center for Nanotechnology; Prof Pranita P. Sarangi, faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering; and Prof Kusum Deep, senior faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering are included in the compendium.
Each of the four faculty members has made significant contributions to scientific research, new product development, patents, and peer-reviewed research publications. They have inspired a large number of students to pursue STEM subjects and engineering as a career, according to the premier institute.
We celebrate our women professors, who have contributed phenomenally with their research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. Their active participation in the field has proven exemplary in promoting and transforming women’s role in STEM subjects, said IIT Roorkee in a statement.
Prof Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director IIT Roorkee, said, “It is a proud moment for us as four of our faculty members have been recognized in the e-book on Indian Women Achievers in STEM disciplines,”
Prof Davinder Kaur Walia said, “I am thankful to CII that they are recognizing and appreciating the presence of women in STEM disciplines. These stories will act as morale boosters for future science and technology courses aspirants. Besides the institute, parents’ encouragement towards their child’s ambitions does wonders, irrespective of the field. I am grateful for all the support and push I received from my parents. For today, they are one of the key contributors to my success. My advice to all the students is to stay positive and enthusiastic about their dreams.”
Prof Debrupa Lahiri, said, “I believe that a woman shouldn’t let go of her aspirations due to social constructs. They should have faith and confidence in their ability and maintain a balance between family and profession, to let neither pull them away from their dream. Determination is the key to achieving goals. I am glad to be associated with a progressive institute such as IIT Roorkee, which in many ways is a torchbearer, encouraging and uplifting women with their multiple initiatives and programmes.”
Prof Pranita P. Sarangi said, “I am extremely humbled to feature among such glorious women of India. I strongly feel that with the right environment and support women could achieve anything. We just have to believe in ourselves, listen to our hearts, set bigger goals, and rise above our environments to bring all dreams to reality. I am very happy and excited for the opportunity to contribute to initiatives such as DST’s Vigyan Jyoti and Gender Advancement in Transforming Institutions (GATI) programs currently implemented at IIT Roorkee to encourage girls from various schools to take up careers in STEM and provide the proper support to women in STEM to reach leadership positions”.
Sharing her insight over STEM studies and the need for more women to take up research in the field of study, Prof Kusum Deep said, “Out of my personal experience, I can say that girls are generally under-represented in the STEM studies and consequently in STEM careers. As a woman, I have immense gratitude for my family and friends for supporting my career aspiration in this field. But not many are as privileged as me. Hence, I am very thankful to CII for collating such a list, which will act as an encouraging voice nudging more women and girls to enter the field and form a formidable career for themselves.”
