Dr. Smita S. Kumar is an Assistant Professor at the Central University of Haryana, Jant-Pali, Mahendergarh, and formerly held the same position at JC Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA Faridabad. Her Ph.D. focused on using Microbial Fuel Cell Technology for the bioelectrochemical stabilization of landfill leachate, followed by post-doctoral research at CRDT, IIT Delhi. Her research interests include bio-energy, environmental pollution assessment, and nature-based solutions to environmental pollution. She has published over 90 edited books, peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters, with 7,600+ citations, an H-index of 39, and an i10-index of 60.
Prof. Vivek Kumar is a Professor at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi. He holds a B.E. in Pulp & Paper Engineering, an M.E. in Chemical Engineering (Industrial Pollution Abatement), and a Ph.D. from IIT Delhi (2000) on waste management in small-scale pulp and paper industries. He completed post-doctoral research in Germany and has over 20 years of academic and R&D experience, including roles at IIT Roorkee and as Visiting Research Professor at the University of Toronto. He has led numerous research projects on industrial waste treatment and currently leads an Indo-UK project on waste valorization in sugarcane industries. His research interests span industrial wastewater treatment, decentralized waste management, groundwater and river pollution assessment, emerging pollutants, biomass valorization, and sustainability policy. He has received multiple honors, including a Shastri Indo-Canadian SRF Grant, and served as International Director of the Bio-Forest Product Division, AIChE (2014–2017).