Dr Binita Pathak, M. Tech. (Andhra University) Ph. D (Dibrugarh University), Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics, Dibrugarh University has been selected as an Associate of the prestigious Indian Academy of Science (IASc), Bangalore, one of the three National Science Academies in India. Dr. Pathak is the first person from Dibrugarh University selected for this prestigious Associateship of IASc.
Her broad area of research is Earth’s Atmosphere and Climate. As a climate Scientist, she has made seminal contribution within the ambit of the national agenda on aerosol (tiny particles or droplets suspended in the atmosphere) characterization and physical processes in the atmosphere. It has helped to establish the unique identity of the north east India vis-à-vis the greater Indian landmass. Notable among them are: understanding of the regional asymmetric aerosol distribution, aerosol-radiation interaction; identification of the constituents of columnar and surface aerosols; quantification of biological aerosols; identification of the source of absorbing and scattering aerosols, finding the best parameterization scheme for ICTP’s RegCM model over South Asia etc. Her comprehensive research contribution has added new dimension to the knowledge of South Asian aerosol-climate interactions.
During the tenure of her Associateship, she will participate in the Annual and Mid-Year meetings of the Academy. She is also expected to contribute actively to various activities of the Academy, such as organizing Refresher Courses or Lecture Workshops of the Academy and to contribute research work for the Academy journal for Science Education (Resonance) and other relevant journals in her area of research.
In another first for Dibrugarh and all other Universities of North East, Dr Pathak is also a current Junior Associate in the Earth System Physics division of The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy. She is also an Adjunct Faculty in the Center for Atmospheric Studies in Dibrugarh University. She is involved with the Indian Space Research Organization through two major research projects on aerosols and trace gases. She is also involved as the Principal Investigator in the DST sponsored project Human and Institutional Capacity Building (HICAB) Network Programmes under National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). She was a recipient of the Debabala Chaliha Award as one of the best five girl graduates in Assam in 2004.