SERB International Research Experience (SIRE) is a coveted opportunity for passionate researchers to collaborate with leading institutions across the globe for high-end research training in frontier areas of Science and Technology. Dr Raviteja from the Department of Civil Engineering has earned this opportunity through his resourceful project titled “Sustainable Ash based Geosynthetic Clay Liners for MSW Landfills”. The work proposes a sustainable design of solid waste landfill liners using industrial by-products like fly ash.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills need to be lined at the bottom to avoid contaminant transport. The conveyance of noxious pollutants from the landfill to the natural ground can be restricted using natural or synthetic barriers. In general, natural materials like clays/bentonites in combination with geomembranes (GMB) are used in liners. However, to increase the strength properties and reduce the compressibility characteristics, bentonites are often mixed with sand. With the increased cost and scarcity of sand, there is a renewed interest among the researchers to identify an alternative material to replace sand proportion in compacted GCLs in MSW landfills. Among several materials, fly ash is proved to be a potential substitute for sand in landfill liners.

This experience will serve as an excellent opportunity to work at one of the world-renowned, state-of-the-art geoenvironmental laboratories at the University of Illinois Chicago. “I feel fortunate to collaborate with Prof. Krishna Reddy, one of the eminent researchers in the geoenvironmental research fraternity. My research at UIC would be on developing sustainable ash-based geosynthetic clay liners for MSW landfills. I also wish to pursue recent advances in this area and identify a framework for my future research”, said Dr Raviteja. The project will help him establish strong research collaborations with experts in the geotechnical labs at other US universities. He can also make field visits to identify the practical problems and direct his research toward the real-field applicability.

With an enriching research exposure at UIC, he will be able to formulate innovative and advanced research problems to enhance the visibility and applicability of his project. Presenting this work at various conferences and seminars will also attract various potential collaborations and MoU with other universities abroad. According to him, “this is a less explored domain that will immensely benefit research scholars and undergraduate students to invent new possibilities and scopes in the future”.

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By earning a ticket to NYU Tandon School of Engineering for the Master’s programme, Students of Civil Engineering; Jayaram Chowdary Dasari, S Yogendra Gopinath and Leela Sujan Sai Borra have added one more feather in the department’s cap. It is a matter of joy and pride for the Department of Civil Engineering and the university as more and more students are getting admitted to international universities. Harnessing the true potential of each student and preparing them for a bigger world have always been the primary focus of SRM University-AP.

They are groomed from a very early stage to reflect on their educational objectives and initiate the appropriate action. “I had started my preparation way ahead and cleared the GRE and IELTS tests, then I consulted my Professors Dr Bhagath sir, Dr Narasimha Murthy sir and Dr Uma Maheswar Rao sir for guidance and with their help, I shortlisted the universities and the best programmes which can fulfil my future goals,” said Yogendra.

“We will never forget our faculty members for their immense support in helping us find the right universities, and also for the initiatives taken by the department such as conducting webinars to educate students about the application procedure for higher studies.” Borra and Jayaram also marked their gratitude to the department.

The Office of International Relations at the university has also played a crucial part in their achievement as it walked them through the right procedures for an overseas application. “I shall forever be thankful to Dr Shweta ma’am for her valuable guidance on drafting an incredible SoP” added Yogendra.

An enriching learning environment with exposure to global educational practices rendered at SRM University-AP will foster the right academic spirit in students and enable them to move ahead with better clarity of purpose. Also, training imparted by the expert faculty will help them gather deeper insights and transform themselves into professionals in their respective fields.

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