Sanika Nishandar, 5th year Mechanical Engineering PhD Candidate, Aspiring R&D Scientist in Air Quality/Wildfires

SANIKA NISHANDAR, University of California, Riverside

     Abstract Number: 633
     Working Group: Meet the Job Seekers

Abstract
Sanika Nishandar is a final year PhD candidate under the guidance of Professor Marko Princevac at UC Riverside. Her doctoral work explores various environmental applications of fluid dynamics, specifically ignition and spread of wildfire, pollution monitoring in indoor and outdoor environments. Funded by TRDRP, her work focuses on dispersion of E-cigarette emissions in indoor environments. During pandemic this CFD study evolved into investigating the role of droplets and aerosols in the transmission of COVID-19. In a joint effort with UNAM, Mexico she studies the spread of cooking stove emissions (PM 2.5) in rural Mexican towns. This cyber-physical study deploys EPA regulated air quality models such as AERMOD in conjunction with water channel experiments. In collaboration with USDA, Forest Service (PSWRS) she designed and built an experimental setup to understand initiation and spread of wildfires. Experimental results of interaction between multifaceted fire structures are augmented by computational framework such as Fire Dynamics Simulator (NIST). An avid environmentalist and a strong advocate of science communication, she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Science to Policy and is currently a government relations committee member in the UCR student cabinet. Prior to her PhD she obtained MS degree in Mechanical Engineering wherein her thesis was on understanding the hemodynamics in cerebral aneurysms. This medical device intervention tested efficiency of placement of stents using Ansys FLUENT in an effort to reduce health risk of aneurysms. She plans to graduate by August 2023 and is inclined in working as an R&D scientist in the field of environmental studies which includes advancement in aerosol science. In the long run she envisions herself working towards bridging the gap between scientific research and the general audience. Through this poster presentation, she aims to promote her skillset to a wider audience and gain insight into a world beyond academia.