I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Daniel-Biology Education Research Group (D-BERG) Lab in the Department of Biology at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, USA (2024-2025).
I am working in the research area of Informal Science Education Projects in the D-BERG Lab. In the Texas Master Naturalist Program, I am studying the impact of volunteering activities on science engagement, understanding the volunteers’ motivation, navigating their challenges for sustainability for citizen science based projects, through qualitative research. I am exploring the integration of AI in qualitative research. I have initiated to understand science communication, science identity among STEM graduate students. Addition to this, I am contributing to the outreach activities in the Seasons of Science program. As a lab team member, I have been actively mentoring MS and PhD students at various stages of their research projects. I have been conducting seminars on research methodologies, AI tools, NVivo, qualitative research, thematic coding, science communication.
I have a PhD in Science Education from Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India. I have over a decade of experience in science education research, outreach activities, developing teaching-learning modules and conducting science investigation-based sessions for teachers and teacher-educators in professional development programs. As a science education researcher, I have an active interest in undergraduate biology education, student understanding of experimentation, nature of science, language of science, science communication, science popularization.