Prof. Aparna is an accomplished researcher and mentor, currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science at IIT Bombay. She is a distinguished academic with a wealth of achievements and has earned prestigious accolades, including the "Young Metallurgist of the Year 2018" awarded by the Ministry of Steel , "Young Engineer Award 2022" by the Indian National Academy of Engineering and "Young Associateship 2023" by the Indian National Science Academy. A membership of National Academy of Sciences has also been conferred on her in 2024.
As a dedicated supervisor, Prof. Aparna has successfully guided eight PhD students to their degrees. The alumni of her research group have secured positions in renowned institutions, such as faculty roles at IIT BHU and ISM Dhanbad, and research scientist positions at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and EPFL. Prof. Aparna's academic contributions include more than 70 journal publications along with filing of more than 14 patents, reflecting her innovative approach and commitment to advancing her field.
Prof. Aparna's research extends beyond academia, as she actively collaborates with industry leaders to develop advanced materials such as new wheels using advanced steels and epoxy composites for antennas. Her work is characterised by a holistic perspective that integrates the arts, sciences, and engineering, reflecting her belief in the interconnectedness of diverse fields.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Aparna is a black belt in Taekwondo, which she achieved in 2019 after years of dedication, and she is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer who performs regularly at the prestigious Kalidasa Theatre in Mumbai. A polyglot with a passion for languages, she has studied Spanish, and French over the past 15 years. She has an immense admiration for Sanskrit in which she has earned a Certificate and Diploma and she continues to be mesmerized by the ocean of Sanskrit texts and continues to be a perpetual student of the language.
Her professional career includes a tenure as a Process Integration Engineer in the Technology Development Group in Hillsboro, Oregon, where she was recognized with an Organisational Award for developing a pioneering process for creating the finest layer interconnects near the transistor layer.
Prof. Aparna's academic journey began at IIT Kanpur, where she excelled as a B.Tech student, winning multiple accolades, including the Director's Gold Medal, Proficiency Medal, and the Mars Fontana Prize in Corrosion Engineering. She was awarded the H.F. Taylor Fellowship to pursue her higher studies at MIT, where she completed her PhD in Materials Science in just four years, along with a Minor in Political Science
Honoring her stellar contributions in the field of development of novel high strength and toughness nano-structured steels and composites, IIT Kanpur confers upon Prof. Aparna the Young Alumnus Award 2024.
