By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 3 Apr: On International Women’s Day, Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) felicitated Dr Neelu Jyothi Ahuja, Professor and Head -Department of Systemics at UPES School of Computer Science, and Dr Kanchan Deoli Bahukhandi, Associate Professor – Sustainability Cluster, UPES School of Engineering, for their outstanding contribution in the field of education and research.
Dr Neelu Jyoti Ahuja was also conferred the ‘Leading Women Researcher Award 2022’ in computer science by UCOST.
Both the professors have successfully delivered several government-sponsored projects in research under various domains like artificial intelligence applications, intelligent tutoring systems, technology interventions for learning disabled children, solid waste management, water quality assessment, product penetration and consumption pattern in rural areas of Uttarakhand and more.
Emphasising on the value of research and the importance of upskilling as an academician, Dr Ahuja said, “Gaps in knowledge can only be filled with research. From a personal point of view, it has always been stimulating, intensely engaging, and rewarding. As an academician, I am a strong believer in constant upskilling, only then does it add value to the classroom and the life of students, as well as fellow team members.”
“Research plays an important role in discovering novel ideas and innovations. It enables us to advance our knowledge which we then apply in real world situations with the purpose of building a sustainable nation.” “UPES has always encouraged students and the faculty to undertake research projects and we are working on several new ideas with the aim of developing innovative technologies,” added Dr Bahukhandi.
Dr Ahuja is an active researcher and in 2010 she was awarded her Doctorate for the development of a prototype rule-based expert system for seismic data interpretation. From 2010 to 2017, she headed the Research Centre-Computing Research Institute, spearheading intra-disciplinary research and coordinating research activities. Dr Ahuja has successfully delivered government funded R&D projects worth Rs 1.5 crores in the last 7 years, and has over 60 research publications to her credit. Dr Bahukhandi was awarded her Doctorate in 2011 for a study on surface groundwater quality in Dehradun. She has published more than 40 research papers, 19 book chapters and two edited books. She has also presented 38 research papers in National and International Conferences.
