Anindita Paul

Mighty Oak Monday: Anindita Paul

08/01/2022

Ph.D. student in Bioprocess Engineering
Hometown: Bengal, India

Deciding where to pursue for her doctoral degree was something Anindita Paul researched for many years. Her undergraduate studies in biotechnology made her realize her a passion for manufacturing and producing biological products. After earning her bachelor's from West Bengal University of Technology (Heritage Institute of Technology) she went onto pursue her master's at Jadavpur University, along a similar research path.. When it came time to find a professor to match with for her doctoral degree, she decided to pursue research opportunities with ESF professor Dr. Deepak Kumar. "We had a very lock-and-key fit," said Anindita. "The work he does and the research I wanted to do fit very well together."

As soon as she arrived at ESF in Spring 2021, Anindita dived into several projects with her colleagues or on her own — including converting hemp into bioplastics, waste to real sugars, and acid waste into bioplastics. Along all her research journey, Anindita found many different pieces of herself. As someone who grew up seeing resource scarcity in her community, she identified with ESF's sustainability goals. She immersed herself in the College community, through the Graduate Student Association and serving as the Vice President of Grants & Awards.

Through it all, Anindita has acquired a deeper love for the idea of a circular economy, a model where all inputs into an economy become reused just — like the circle of life in nature. It's a model she sees as critical to solving the climate crisis.

"I don't know if my specific research will lead to a solution," she said, "but I do know that an ocean starts with one drop, and if I can contribute to the solution, that's what is most important to me."

We thank you for your contribution to the fight against climate change, Anindita!

Learn more about the Bioprocess Engineering Ph.D. program at ESF.