The award recognizes a distinguished record of outstanding service, achievements, and contributions.
Shaily Mahendra, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a Samueli Fellow, has received a 2018 Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman award from the Government of India Non-Resident Indian Welfare Society. The prestigious international award recognizes Indians living outside the country who have a distinguished record of outstanding service, achievements, and contributions. The honor is given to only about 30 people per year out of more than 16 million Indians living abroad. Mahendra received the award on Oct. 25, at formal ceremony at the House of Commons in London.
Mahendra’s research interests are in microbial processes in natural and engineered systems, applications of molecular and isotopic tools in environmental microbiology, environmental implications and applications of nanomaterials, and biotransformation of emerging water contaminants. Applications from this research include the sustainable treatment of drinking water, groundwater, industrial and municipal wastewater, and recycled and reclaimed water.
She has received many honors for work, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award; the Water Research Foundation’s Paul L. Busch Award; the DuPont Young Professor Award; a UC Hellman Fellowship, The Environmental Science & Technology Excellence in Review Award; the PopTech Science and Public Leadership Fellowship, and UCLA Samueli’s Northrop Grumman Excellence in Teaching Award. She joined the UCLA faculty in 2009.