Faculty

Teaching Experience: 24 years

23 years postgraduate level for M.Sc. (Environment Science), M.Sc. (Geoinformatics), M.Sc. (Wildlife Conservation Action) and Course work for Ph.D. (Environment Science) and Ph.D. (Geoinformatics)

(For M.Sc. Environment Science over the years): Fundamentals of Geospatial Technologies, Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing in Environment Sciences, Sustainable Development (theory / practical), Corporate Social Responsibility, guiding students for their Masters thesis.

(For M.Sc. Geoinformatics over the years): Fundamentals of Geospatial Technologies, Techniques in Geospatial Technologies, Digital Image Processing (Theory and Practical), Spatial Analysis, WebGIS, Data Analysis through R,  guiding students for their Masters thesis.

(For M.Sc. Wildlife Conservation Action over the years): Fundamentals of Geospatial Technologies, Techniques in Geospatial Technologies, Conservation Problems and Practices, Conservation Leadership, Conservation Communication

• Research Projects Completed: 20
• Principal Investigator: ‘Transitioning of ESD Expert Net products into the national structures 2021-23’ funded by Engagement Global, Germany.
• Principal Investigator (India component) (2019-2023): Passage to India: “Indo-German Partnerships – Environmental Interactions in Focus”. The program involves student and faculty motilities between India and Germany for teaching and research
• Principal Investigator: (Project Management Unit) Strengthening capacity building through developing a unique portal for Geospatial Education and Training funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (2016-2023)
• Research Experience: 26 years
• Administrative  Experience:  17 yrs
• Workshops conducted: 100+

• Principal Investigator for project ‘Catalysing Geospatial Capacity Building Post National Geospatial Policy 2022 (2023-2026) funded by  Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.   This project is facilitating  the development of a  National Framework for  Geospatial Capacity Building to design, implement as well as organize the expanded scope of activities across the country following the National Geospatial Policy 2022.  It focuses on development of tailor made  geospatial capacity building.
• Principal Investigator for the project, ‘Project Management Unit, Geospatial Capacity Building (2019-2023) funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.  This project involves setting up a Project Management Unit for the Geospatial Capacity Building Program of the DST, involving 42 Universities and includes setting and maintaining the online portal, designing tutorials, online registration and feedback systems, monitoring of the program, etc.
• Indian Coordinator of the Indo-German Project (2019-2023) ‘ German-Indian Higher Education Cooperation – Environmental Interactions in Focus’ funded by DAAD, Germany. The “German-Indian Higher Education Cooperation 2019–2023” subprogram focuses on the support of young academics and their acquisition of expert and core competencies under the umbrella of the overall program “A New Passage to India”. The funded activities include short-term lectureships, post-doc research visits, PhD and graduate students’ exchanges, summer schools, excursions, and field trips both in India and in Germany.
•  Principal Investigator  for  project, ‘Developing Massive Open Online Course in Geospatial Technologies through the IGET portal‘ (2016-2018) funded by  Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. This project has developed  a MOOC for use in the Summer/Winter School on Geospatial Technologies conducted by DST-GOI.
• Co-Investigator for the project, ‘Developing Maharashtra State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan‘ (2016-2018) funded by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, Government of Maharashtra. This project developed  a biodiveristy strategy and action plan for the state for the period 2108-2028.
• Principal Investigator for the project‚‘Strengthening surveillance and modelling of selected mosquito borne diseases through process automation of community remote sensing in Pune district, India‘ (2015-2017) funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. This project developed a better monitoring systems using multiple data sources and innovative research technique for mosquito borne diseases.
• Principal Investigator for the project,‘ Strengthening capacity building through developing a unique portal for Geospatial Education and Training‘ (2012-2016) funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.  This project developed  India’s first geospatial education and training portal.
• Principal Investigator for the project,‘ Modelling the impedance and mortality locations of wildlife using geoinformatics along highways in Maharashtra State for improvement of EIA, SEA and BIA techniques in India‘ (2011-2014) funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.  This project focussed on estimating the impedance on movements of indicator species due to operation of the NH4 highway in Maharashtra state and model the mortality risk posed by the NH4 highway for selected indicator species with the aim of identifying  zones of relative mortality of indicator species for developing wildlife mitigation measures such wildlife underpass / overpass or ecoducts providing a valuable input into EIA, SEA projects in India
• Co- Investigator (India component) for the project, ‘Health disparities and environmental linkages in Pune/India’ (2011-2012) funded by University of Cologne/DFG. This study analysed the distribution of risk factors and disease burden of environment-related diseases which have been caused through physical elements in the natural (e.g. water) and unnatural (e.g. garbage) environment causing vector borne diseases. in Pune. 
• Principal Investigator for the project,‘DNA Clubs Program’ (2008-2013) funded by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Under this project, BVIEER was appointed as the Regional Resource Agency for this program in the states of Maharashtra and Goa.  This program focused on inculcating environmental awareness and building a school environment policy through a multipronged approach of capacity building of teachers and designing and implementing an innovative school program
• Co Investigator for the project, ‘Health care and environment education for underprivileged groups in Pune, India’ (2007-2009) funded by the Anil and Chitra Deshpande Foundation, USA (2007-2009).  The main objectives of the project were to build awareness about the linkages between health and     environmental issues in schools among students in  schools  from the lower socio-economic strata.  The various components of the project involved building capacity among the teachers and designing innovative teaching-learning modules as well as using the school as a means to reach out to community
• Co-investigator for the project, ‘Evaluation of the ‘Environment education in the school system’ (2002-2004) funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.  The project involved evaluating the process of textbook development, the training program and the textbooks themselves in eight states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Goa and streamlining the process across the country.
• Co-investigator for the project, ‘Design of Evaluation strategies for the ‘Environment Education in the School system project’ (2001-2002) funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.  This project involved designing evaluation strategies for assessing effectiveness of environmentalised textbooks and enhanced knowledge, skills and change in attitudes towards the environment  among teachers and students.
• Researcher for the project, ‘Use of GIS in managing Protected Areas’ (2000-2002) funded by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The project involved designing a management strategy for the Protected Areas of Rehekhuri and Nannaj using GIS  as a tool to map changing landuse patterns.
• Coordinator for the project, Study of Infusion of Environmental Concepts in School Curricula and the effectiveness of its delivery’ (1998-2002) funded by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. This National Level World Bank Study titled ‘under the India Environment Management Capacity Building Project of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India developed methodologies for content analysis, analyzed textbooks and teaching methodologies across the country. The findings of this project resulted in the design of new textbooks with an environmental orientation in all the states of India and its implementation in across the  country.
•  Researcher for the project, ‘Key conservation issues in the semi arid Deccan Plateau’ (1997-2000) funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. This project focused on developing mitigation strategies for two key human-wildlife conflicts-the first being blackbuck-human and the second being wolf-sheep lifting conflict in South Maharashtra, India
• Field researcher for the project, ‘Ecorestorative strategies to preserve the biologically sensitive grasslands in Maharashtra with special reference to grassland Protected Area Management’ (1997-2000) funded by Department of  Forests, Government of Maharashtra.  The project involved designing a management strategy for the Grassland Protected Areas of Maharashtra.
•  Researcher for the project, ‘Education, Awareness and Training aspects of  biodiversity and its conservation’ (1996-1997) funded by World Wide Fund for India, New Delhi.  The project  was implemented as part of the Biodiversity Conservation Prioritization Project funded by WWF-India (BCPP).

Awards

• Selected as the top 75 women in STEAM in India by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor,   Government of India and the British Council in 2022 (as part of 75th year of India’s Independence)
• DAAD Grant for the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 (for teaching at University of Cologne, Germany
• SWAGATA Grant for the year 2016 and 2018 (for teaching at the University of Cologne, Germany)
• Fulbright Nehru IEA awardee 2013
• Best Teacher Award, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, 2010
• Team Member for the International Visitor Program of the United States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for the year 2002.
• Team Member for the Group Study Exchange Program to Australia by Rotary Foundation for the year 1997-98.  This scholarship for vocational and cultural exchange is awarded once a year for every Rotary District.

Achievements

• Set up India’s first Open Source Geospatial Education and Training Portal in collaboration with Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (http://www.dst-iget.in)
• Grants Secured as PI:  INR 6, 46,75,459.80   (till December 2023)
• Grants secured as joint project:  INR 4,24, 76, 272.80 (till December  2023)

Project

• Principal Investigator  for project‘Transitioning of ESD Expert Net products into the national structures (India) 2021-2022 funded  by Engagement Global, Germany.   This project inovlves setting  up an ESD Leadership Program for India, capacity building of textbook writers, strategic meetings, National Seminars, workshops for educators in sustainable development and development of locale specific mateiral for teaching EE/Sustainability.
• Principal Investigator  for the project, ‘National Activties for the International Mentoring for ESD Leadership Program 2020-India‘ (2020-2021) funded by Engagement Global Germany.  This project conducting National Mentoring Workshops for Indian participants of the ESD  Leadership Program alognwith an Outreach Event.
• Principal Investigator for the project‚‘An environment education program for sustainable development  for schools in the Maval and Mulshi taluka, Pune district‘ (2015-2018) funded by  Tata Power Companies, Mumbai.  This project focussed on capacity building of teachers for delivering ESD in 10 village schools in the catchment areas of the Tata pwer Companies with a view to bring about sustainability initiatives in the villages lying in the catchments.
• Principal Investigator for the project,’ An innovative environment education program at the Environment Activity Centre, Pune’ (2008-2009) funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The project involved designing exhibits for an interactive environment activity centre that serves as a teaching-learning facility for schools.      
• Principal Investigator for the project, ‘Capacity building among the Tharu women around Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, India’ (2007) funded by World Wide Fund for Nature-India. The project involved capacity building of women from the Tharu tribe through a series of training workshops to produce handicrafts that can be marketed and thus become an income generation activity which in turn reduces their dependence on the forest.
• Program Manager of the project, ‘Conservation  education for critically important National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries through a comprehensive environment education program’ (2004-2007) funded by the India-Canada Environment Facility. This project implemented in three Tiger reserves and one Zoological Garden in India focused on a multi pronged strategy to enhance community support for biodiversity conservation in PAs through a locale specific structured environment education program with capacity building among local Government officials of the Education and Forest Departments, school principals, teachers, students and village communities and tourists. The project, strengthened intersectoral linkages, instituted a conservation education program around PAs and developed policies/practices for sustainable tourism around the National Parks.
• Co-investigator and writer for the project,’Adapting the CD-ROM on ‘Teaching and learning for a sustainable future’ produced by UNESCO, Bangkok  (2003).  The work involved adapting the CD Rom for India by adding locale specific case studies and mainly integrating ESD concepts in the local context.
• Project Manager for the program, ‘Environment Education Program of the Pune Municipal Corporation’ (2002-2004)  funded by the Pune Municipal Corporation. This program focused on capacity building of school teachers from 100 schools in delivering environment education through intensive training and involving them in implementing a locale specific environment education program.
• Co-investigator for the project, ‘Awareness generation and capacity building of local communities for sustainable use of resources in an ecologically sensitive area’ (2001-2003) funded by  UNDP-Small Grants Project. The project focused on enhancing pro-environmental behavior among the community at large and the rural school students through a mobile environment educational facility. The project used an innovative approach through involving local teachers and community leaders in developing environment education material that focused on local environmental problems and training them in implementing possible solutions specific to their own needs.

• Wagner, P D; Kumar, S; Fohrer, N, 2023,  Integrated modeling of global change impacts on land and water resources. Science of The Total Environment,  164673, 2023 (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 16.80 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164673
• Kaginalkar, Akshara; Kumar, Shamita; Gargava, Prashant; Niyogi, Dev, 2023,  Stakeholder analysis for designing an urban air quality data governance ecosystem in smart cities. Urban Climate, 48, 101403, 2023 (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) Cite Score: 8.7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101403
• Gohain, Kashyap Jyoti; Goswami, Ajanta; Mohammad, Pir; Kumar, Shamita; Modelling relationship between land use land cover changes, land surface temperature and urban heat island in Indore city of central India; Theoretical and Applied Climatology; Jan-20; 2023 Springer (Scopus Indexed) IF: 3.4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-023-04371-x
• Kaginalkar, A., Kumar, S., Gargava, P., Kharkar, N., Niyogi, D., 2022,  SmartAirQ: A big data governance framework for urban air quality management in smart cities. Frontiers in Environmental Science 228. (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 5.411
• https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.785129
• Kaginalkar, A., Kumar, S., Gargava, P., Niyogi, D., 2021. Review of urban computing in air quality management as smart city service: An integrated IoT, AI, and cloud technology perspective. Urban Climate 39, 100972. (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 6.62
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100972
• Butsch, C., Chakraborty, S., Gomes, S.L., Kumar, S., Hermans, L.M., 2021. Changing Hydrosocial Cycles in Periurban India. Land 10, 263.  (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 4.03
• https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030263
• Kantakumar LN, Kumar S, Schneider K. What drives urban growth in Pune? A logistic regression and relative importance analysis perspective. Sustainable Cities And Societies. 2020;60 102269
• (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 7.587 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102269
• Kantakumar LN, Kumar S, Schneider K. SUSM: a scenario-based urban growth simulation model using remote sensing data. European Journal of Remote Sensing. 2019;52(sup2):26–41.
• (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 3.168  https://doi.org/10.1080/22797254.2019.1585209
• Butsch, C., Kumar, S., Wagner, P.D., Kroll, M., Kantakumar, L.N., Bharucha, E., Schneider, K., Kraas, F., 2017. Growing ‘Smart’? Urbanization Processes in the Pune Urban Agglomeration. Sustainability 9, 2335. (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 2.075
• https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/12/2335
• Wagner, P.D., Bhallamudi, S.M., Narasimhan, B., Kumar, S., Fohrer, N., Fiener, P., 2017. Comparing the effects of dynamic versus static representations of land use change in hydrologic impact assessments. Environmental Modelling & Software. (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 5.38
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.06.023
• Kantakumar, L.N., Kumar, S., Schneider, K., 2016. Spatiotemporal urban expansion in Pune metropolis, India using remote sensing. Habitat International 51, 11–22.
• (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 2.029 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.10.007
• Wagner, P.D., Bhallamudi, S.M., Narasimhan, B., Kantakumar, L.N., Sudheer, K.P., Kumar, S., Schneider, K., Fiener, P., 2016. Dynamic integration of land use changes in a hydrologic assessment of a rapidly developing Indian catchment. Science of the Total Environment 539, 153–164.
• (Scopus and Web of Science Indexed) IF: 10.753 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.148
• Wagner, P.D., Reichenau, T.G., Kumar, S., Schneider, K., 2015. Development of a new downscaling method for hydrologic assessment of climate change impacts in data scarce regions and its application in the Western Ghats, India. Regional Environmental Change 15, 435–447.
• (Scopus Indexed) IF: 4.7 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0481-z
• Wagner, P.D., Kumar, S., Schneider, K., 2013. An assessment of land use change impacts on the water resources of the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune, India. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 10, 1943–1985. (Scopus  Indexed) IF: 6.617
•    https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2233-2013
• Wagner, P.D., Fiener, P., Wilken, F., Kumar, S., Schneider, K., 2012. Comparison and evaluation of spatial interpolation schemes for daily rainfall in data scarce regions. Journal of Hydrology 464, 388–400. (Scopus  Indexed) IF: 6.708 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.07.026
• Wagner, P.D., Kumar, S., Fiener, P., Schneider, K., 2011. Hydrological Modeling with SWAT in a Monsoon-Driven Environment: Experience from the Western Ghats, India. Transactions of the ASABE, Vol. 54(5): 1783-1790. Scopus  Indexed) IF: 1.188 http://doi.org/10.13031/2013.39846

Book Chapters

• Kumar, Shamita; Society 5.0 towards Sustainable Development Goals in Technological Prospects and Social Applications in Technological Prospects and Social Applications of Society 5.0, 203-217, 2023, Chapman and Hall/CRC
• Woiwode, Christoph; Schneider, Lisa; Bharucha, Erach; Kumar, Shamita; Lay-Kumar, Jenny; Madhale, Avinash; Menon, Sanskriti; Schweizer-Ries, Petra; Volz, Peter; Yardi, Kranti; Indo-German Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Sharing Experience and Co-creating Knowledge for Sustainable Urban Livelihoods Design; Designing Social Innovation for Sustainable Livelihoods; 107-132; 2022, Springer, Singapore
• Kumar, S., Khatavkar, P., Dev, P., Shinde, A., Singh, U., 2018. ‘Modeling the impact of highways on the impedance of movement and mortality locations of wildlife: A case study of the NH6 in Maharashtra, India In Sarda, N.L. Acharya, P.S., Sen, S (ed), in Geospatial Infrastructure, Applications and Technologies: India Case Studies in Springer, pp.
• Unit 8 Visual Image Interpretation: Selected Examples in IGNOU material for Diploma in Geoinformatics 2017, IGNOU https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/39537/1/Unit-8.pdf
• Unit 13 Climate, Environment And Disaster Management in IGNOU material for Diploma in Geoinformatics 2017, IGNOU https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/39524
• Chapter in Textbook of Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses for University Grants Commission, University Press Pvt Ltd, 2005, titled ‘Pollution’. This book commissioned by the University Grants Commission has been since translated in four other Indian languages.

Publications

•  Bharucha E.K, Kumar S. Mungikar R. Ganju P. “Glimpses of the cultural ecological heritage of Maharashtra” Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, 2014
•  Managing editor of the quarterly magazine of the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board
•  Writer of two chapters (Applications of geoinformatics for climate and environment related studies and Visual Image Interpretation) of the Certificate course in Geoinformatics being initiated by IGNOU, New Delhi. (2011)
•  Production assistance and design and editing ‘Harit chalwal: Ek disha’, Published by: Department of Social Forestry, Maharashtra State, 2010
•  Co-author: Teachers handbook on Environmental Issues for Maharashtra, ‘Explore our Environment: A manual for green schools’. Published by: Runanubandh for Maharashtra State ENVIS Centre, 2009
•  Contributory writer for standard XI, Environment Science Textbook for Maharashtra State, 2008
• Contributory chapters for the National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT) Teachers Handbook in Environment Studies, 2008
• Author: Teaching aids for course on wildlife law and prevention of wildlife crime, funded by the Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi, 2008. Designed an entire set of training material for the Wildlife Trust of India for their course for forest officers and guards on environmental law and prevention of wildlife crime respectively.  This has included 55 flipcharts, Trainers Handbook and teaching aids in the form of games and activities.
•  Conceptualized, designed  35 posters of biodiversity, Published by BVIEER-ICEF
•  Managing editor of State ENVIS magazine, ‘Runanubandh’, 2007
•  Lead Author: Teachers handbook on Environmental Issues for Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, ‘Paryavaran Samsyayein’, Published by BVIEER-ICEF, 2007
•  Lead Author: Student Activity Book, ‘Prakriti ko janiye khel-khel mein’, Published by BVIEER-ICEF, 2007
•  Lead Author: Student Activity Book, ‘Prakriti ki khoj mein’, Published by BVIEER-ICEF, 2006
•  Lead Author: Student Activity Book, ‘Janiye kya hai apke aas pas’, Published by BVIEER-ICEF, 2006
•  Lead Author: Teachers Handbook on Biodiversity, ‘Jaivavidhta’, Published by BVIEER-ICEF, 2005
•  Author: Student Activity Book, ‘Explore your forests’ published by BVIEER, funded by World Wide Fund for Nature India, 2000
•  Author: Student Activity Book, ‘Explore your forests’ published by BVIEER, funded by World Wide Fund for Nature India, 2000
• Co-authored Handbook on Environment Education for Teachers Std. V to Std. IX, Maharashtra Syllabus, Published by BVIEER through a grant of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, 1998. This book which serves as a ready reference for teachers.