Profile of the Instructor(s)

Prof. Thalappil Pradeep is an Institute Professor at IITM. He has trained over 300 graduate, masters, and postdoctoral students to do original research and thousands of others in different branches of science and engineering through classroom teaching. He is an author of 7 books, 550 papers, and 120 patents. He has built seven start-up companies. His technologies on clean water have reached 13 million people. He is a fellow of all the science and engineering academies of India, The World Academy of Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received prestigious recognitions such as the Padma Shri, VinFuture Prize, and Eni Award, among others.   Prof. Hadas Mamamne is a head of the Environmental Engineering Program and the Water-Technology Laboratory at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel. She specializes in advanced water purification and disinfection. Committed to sustainability, she pioneers point-of-use technologies to provide safe drinking water in low-income areas. As a visiting faculty at IIT Madras, she actively contributes to the development of water treatment technologies. Embracing off-grid solutions, her team explores UV-LED technologies as an innovative alternative to mercury lamps. Furthermore, she conducts smartphone-operated surveys to assess water quality in rural Indian communities.   Prof. Ram Fishman is a Professor of Development Economics at the Department of Public Policy, Tel Aviv University, and directs the Nitsan lab for sustainable development. His focus lies in bridging Israeli innovation with low-income users in developing countries. Specializing in sustainable agriculture, water scarcity, and climate change, he employs field work, experiments, and data analysis. Formerly an assistant professor at George Washington University and a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Ram holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University. His research interests span Sustainable Development, Food, Water, Energy, Climate Change, Agriculture, and Technology Adoption.   Prof. Ligy Philip, IIT Madras Chair Professor, excels in Civil Engineering. A Fellow of the National Academy of Engineers (FNAE) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), she holds a Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. Her research spans industrial effluent treatment, bioremediation, innovative drinking water processes, and sustainable waste management. Recognized globally, her tech solutions benefit industries and NGOs. As a pollution control consultant, she aids global sanitation projects with organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Serving on expert committees for the National Green Tribunal and pollution boards, Prof. Philip executes socially impactful projects, implementing sustainable water and waste management in five villages.   Dr. G. Velmurugan, a Scientist at KMCH Research Foundation, Coimbatore, India, holds a Ph.D. from Madurai Kamaraj University and underwent training at Cologne University (Germany), IIT Madras, & University of Florida (USA). Specializing in the interaction between chemicals and microbes in diverse environments, especially water, he researches into its implications on ecosystems and human health. Recognized with the Young Investigator award from the Association of Microbiologists of India and the International Society for Microbial Ecology, Dr. Velmurugan's perspective revolves around microbiota. His team aims to leverage microbiota for addressing global challenges, including water pollution, climate change, and human diseases.