Dr. Meena Kapahi is a Professor in the
Department of Sciences at Manav Rachna University, Faridabad. Currently, she
serves as the Director of the International Relations. She earned her Ph.D. in bioremediation from MRIIRS,
Faridabad, focusing on the biosorption potential of Pleurotus species and spent
mushroom substrate for heavy metals. With over 20 years of teaching experience
and approximately one year of industry experience, Dr. Kapahi has contributed
significantly to academia through publications in prestigious national and
international journals. Dr. Kapahi has developed courses such as
"Environment and Sustainable Development," emphasizing Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), Corporate Sustainability Strategy, and Sustainability
Reporting. Additionally, she was a visiting lecturer at the International
Summer School 2017, held at Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LUAS),
Finland, from May 29 to June 9, 2017.
In addition
to her academic contributions, she is an active member of various esteemed
professional societies, including the Indian Society of Technical Education
(ISTE), Mushroom Society of India (MSI), Green Chemistry Network Centre (GCNC),
and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – CEC. Dr. Kapahi has served as a member of the panel of
judges for the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2023. Her involvement extends beyond academic circles as
she has served as a key member of the Technical Review Group for the IUCN World
Conservation Congress in 2016 (Hawaii) and the Smart Cities in Smart Regions
International Conference in 2016 (LAMK, Finland). She has been a reviewer for
the publication GEO-6 FOR YOUTH, UNEP (2021; ISBN No. 978-92-807-3781-3). Dedicated
to making a positive impact on society and the environment, she actively
collaborates with organizations engaged in various social and environmental
causes, such as blood donation, cancer awareness, menstrual hygiene, and the
education of underprivileged children. Her ongoing student projects exemplify
her commitment, with a particular focus on menstrual hygiene management and
food adulteration.
She has
published patents covering areas like sanitary waste management (including
dustbins for the disposal of sanitary waste and biodegradable pads) and food
adulteration testing kits. Additionally, she has submitted a design application
for a composting bin. Her dedication to nurturing the next generation of
leaders is evident through her mentorship of students, guiding them to excel in
national and international endeavors. She has mentored
students for national and international championships (British Climate Champ),
MIT Climate CoLab Challenge, New Zealand-India Sustainability Challenge, and
conferences (G-STIC, Belgium) where the students have brought laurels to the
university. Having a keen interest in Oyster mushroom cultivation and
gardening, she has organized oyster mushroom cultivation workshops for
corporates/academicians/students. Recently she has received a grant for her
project - The journey from the “Wastes to Resources” – An awareness campaign
for Waste Management for Haryana from the Hazardous Substance Management
Division, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change under
the scheme for Creation of management Structures for Hazardous Substances. The project
was shortlisted under the Sustainability Education category in the 10th
Edition of QS Reimagine Education Awards and Conference (11-13 Dec 2023) and
was presented in the conference at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi.