Harshad Vijay Kulkarni

Assistant Professor

Environmental Engineering

I am an environmental engineer with two years of industrial and four years of academic research experience, and has worked on research projects of regional, national and international significance. My research interests include studying natural processes that affect the quantity and quality of water, developing novel technologies for sustainable use of environmental resources, and applying environmental engineering principles to explore novel research areas like astrobiology and planetary analog investigations.

The broader impacts of my research include advancing fundamental science questions, development of novel and sustainable technologies to provide clean environment, ensure sufficient and safe drinking water to communities, promoting undergraduate and graduate education, and promoting principles of diversity, equity and inclusion through research.

My research interests are in three directions:

(R1) Biogeochemical cycling of elements of human health concern and emerging contaminants in the environment

(R2) Applications of biogeochemical processes in advanced water-wastewater purification, desalination and sustainable water reuse

(R3) Investigating terrestrial planetary analog sites of astrobiological significance using principles of biogeochemistry.