Rucha Joshi

Dr. Rucha Joshi is an Associate Professor at Plaksha University. Formerly she was an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis; and a postdoctoral fellow at Purdue University, where she worked on tissue engineering as well as engineering education research, specifically on biomaterials, drug delivery and instructional innovation using active learning in biomedical engineering. Rucha received a BS in biotechnology engineering from Shivaji University, India, in 2009, and an MS in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2011, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2016. Rucha has two patents, on making low calorie biscuits from banana peel pulp, and second on “collagen based therapeutic delivery systems”. Her current research focuses on natural biomaterials such as silk fibroin, and collagen, and within engineering education research, she focuses on creating inclusive education for visually impaired students, gamification of STEM education, building entrepreneurial mindset in engineers, infusing metacognition within engineering curriculum, and personalizing teaching-learning processes using human-centred design thinking.

Her dedication extends beyond the classroom. Dr. Joshi champions diversity through her experience with NSF grants and outreach programs, and her workshops exemplify this. She recently led sessions for educators on integrating transversal skills into teaching methodologies using the 3T play model, as well as workshops embedding critical thinking, systems thinking, perspective taking, and negotiation skills into the engineering curriculum, with practical exercises on sustainability challenges and role-playing scenarios for educators and students. She is actively working to promote inclusivity within STEM for high school children and girls. She has served as a BME Liaison for the Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2021-22, and as a secretary of New Engineering Educators division of ASEE in 2019-20. From 2021-24, she was the director for Grand Challenges Scholars Program at Plaksha, creating experiential learning through a combined curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular program.

On extra-curriculars, Rucha is a NAUI certified SCUBA diver and 2023 Punjab state badminton winner in 35+ Women category, representing Punjab in the 45th  and 46th National Badminton Veterans Championship. Her book in Marathi tells a story of her journey of representing India at Japan in class 12th, being honored by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the late president of India, for her invention of “low calorie biscuits from banana peel pulp”. The book won a literary award from the State Government of Maharashtra in 2008. Her latest book on collagen based drug delivery was published by Springer in 2021. Most recently, she received the prestigious Chhabria Award for Best Woman Professional 2023 given by Hope Foundation in association with the IEEE India Council and Women In Engineering Affinity Group, solidifying her status as a role model and changemaker in engineering education.

Dr. Joshi's current research focuses on approaching challenges in teaching engineering through the lens of design thinking.

Previously, she contributed to instructional innovation in biomedical engineering at Purdue and worked on an National Science Foundation funded grant for studying the professional formation of engineers and enhancing diversity and inclusion within Purdue. She has been involved in educational entrepreneurship projects and making engineering accessible to underrepresented high school students in India and in the United States. 

Dr. Joshi received a BS in Biotechnology Engineering from Shivaji University, India, in 2009, and MS in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2011, where she worked on creating smart microspheres responsive to temperature, pH, and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) for therapeutic drug delivery applications. She received her PhD in biomedical engineering from Purdue University in 2016, where she created designer collagen biografts for soft tissue biograft and drug delivery applications with Prof. Sherry Voytik-Harbin.

Dr. Joshi is a passionate advocate for transforming engineering education. Her experiences at prestigious institutions like UC Davis and Purdue honed her expertise in educational research and innovation in bioengineering.

Currently, her research focuses on:

Natural Biomaterials for Drug Delivery:                                                                                                           

Implantable Silk-Fibroin scaffolds for chronic wound healing
SF-Keratin-Collagen- based drug delivery devices for tuning heparin delivery for rapid vascularization
Point of Care Thernostics using Pyranin embedded Silk-based biomaterials
 
Engineering Education:                                                                                                                        

Inclusive STEM education for visually impaired students
Entrepreneurial-Minded Learning Within Engineering Students
Gamification of STEM Education for inspiring youth to pursue careers in STEM
Fostering Metacognition within the engineering curriculum
Human-centred Design Thinking for Education Reform

Dr. Joshi has received several scholarships and awards for thought leadership, entrepreneurship, and community engagement, including the Ross Fellowship for outstanding PhD applicants, and the Burton D. Morgan Fellowship for entrepreneurial students at Purdue. She was honored by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the late president of India, for her invention of “low calorie biscuits from banana peel pulp” and for her STEM popularization efforts.

Honors and Awards:

Awarded sponsorship for visit from The Center for Learning Sciences (LEARN), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, to further collaboration with the 3T PLAY project, which focuses on using Tangibles to develop Transversal skills in students at Technical universities 2024

Teaching and Learning Award, International Conference on Transformations in Engineering Education (ICTIEE) 2024 
2023

Pralhad P. Chhabria Award for Best Women Professional (Early career) by Hope Foundation, IEEE India Council and Women in Engineering Affinity Group
2023

Invited member of technical committee for the international Research in Engineering Education Symposium (REES) 2024 at KLE Technological University in Hubli, India in January 2024
2023-24

Selected as Biomedical Engineering Division Liaison at the Committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), June 2021 to June 2022
2021-22

Selected in JEE Mentored Reviewer Program of the Research Journal of Engineering Education (JEE)
2021

Engaged Learning and Teaching Community Award by Centre for Educational Effectiveness, UC Davis
2020

Recipient, Transforming STEM Teaching Fellowship, offered by the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), UC Davis
2019

Recipient of prestigious Burton D. Morgan Fellowship offered by Purdue University, USA
2015

Most Entertaining Pitch Award, in Purdue's 8th Annual Elevator Pitch Competition
2014

Best Poster Presentation Award (Undergraduate and Graduate)
2013

First prize in the BMEGSA Research Symposium poster session competition
2013

Recipient of Ross Fellowship awarded for outstanding PhD applicants, Purdue University, USA
2012

Selected by the American Association for University Women (AAUW) as an alternate
2010

Outstanding Student of the College Award, KIT College, Maharashtra, India
2009

Maharashtra State Govt. Literature Award for book written to motivate children towards STEM
2008

Invited to inaugurate 15th National Children's Science Congress held in Pune, India
2007

Bangalore Bio- 2006 Award for best poster in International Biotechnology Conference, Bangalore
2006

National CSIR Diamond Jubilee Invention Award for school children, India
2004

All India Marathi Science Research Award, Mumbai
2004

Appreciation Letter from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Ex-President of India, for patentable innovation
2004

Represented India at the Indo-Russia Joint Technological Summit held at Delhi, India
2004

Future Creation Excellence Award presented at International Young Innovator's Meet, Japan