Rucha Joshi

Prof Rucha Joshi is an Associate Professor at Plaksha University, specifically in natural biomaterials (silk fibroin, collagen) with transformative engineering education reforms. With a PhD and postdoctoral training in Biomedical Engineering (Purdue University), she holds patents for collagen-based drug delivery and banana-peel biscuits, several publications in engineering education as well as bioengineering, exemplifying her innovative spirit. Her research spans tissue engineering and inclusive pedagogy, where she pioneers metacognition, gamification, and human-centered design, and inclusive education, including women in higher education aspiring to be leaders, and visually impaired students in STEM. She has directed Plaksha’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program, served on ASEE’s diversity committees, and led NSF-backed initiatives to bridge gaps in engineering education. Recognized with the Chhabria Award (2023) for her professional impact, she’s also a Springer-published book author and Maharashtra State literary awardee for her memoir in Marathi. Beyond academia, Prof Joshi is a NAUI-certified diver, Punjab State badminton champion, and advocate for women in STEM, embodying the synergy of science, education, and societal change.

Prof Joshi’s current research develops natural biomaterials and integrated therapy, diagnostics, and sensing platforms for wound care and regenerative medicine. Her group engineers silk fibroin and collagen-based hydrogels, scaffolds, and composites, and studies material–cell and material–microbe interactions. She also researches inclusive engineering education and personalized teaching and learning.

Areas of work:

• Silk fibroin, collagen, and other natural biomaterials for drug delivery
• Smart wound care, antibacterial materials, and point-of-care theranostics
• Biosensing, biofabrication, and tissue-mimetic platforms
• Inclusive STEM and engineering education
• Gamification, metacognition, and personalized learning

Prof Joshi’s research lies at the intersection of silk fibroin biomaterials, smart wound care, biosensing, and biofabrication. Her group develops silk fibroin-based hydrogels, porous scaffolds, and composite biomaterials in-house and engineers their mechanical, structural, degradation, and release properties for biomedical applications. A major focus is the development of antibacterial and multifunctional wound-healing materials that not only provide a regenerative matrix but also incorporate sensing and diagnostic capabilities for real-time assessment of the wound environment.

Her research integrates materials engineering with microbiological and molecular characterization to investigate material–cell and material–microbe interactions. The group is also expanding into organ-on-chip and tissue-mimetic platforms, including the use of silk fibroin-based matrices to recreate physiologically relevant environments for studying wound healing, infection, therapeutic response, and tissue regeneration. The long-term goal is to develop integrated platforms that combine therapy, diagnostics, sensing, and engineered tissue models for next-generation wound care and regenerative medicine.

Her Engineering Education Research focuses on:

• Making advanced STEM topics accessible to K–12 students in rural and tribal regions of India
• Inclusive STEM education for visually impaired students
• Gamification of STEM education to inspire young people, particularly girls, to pursue STEM careers
• Fostering metacognition within the engineering curriculum
• Advancing women’s leadership in higher education

• Teaching and Learning Award, International Conference on Transformations in Engineering Education, 2024
• Pralhad P. Chhabria Award for Best Women Professional, 2023
• Engaged Learning and Teaching Community Award, UC Davis, 2020
• Transforming STEM Teaching Fellowship, UC Davis, 2019
• Burton D. Morgan Fellowship, Purdue University, 2015
• Most Entertaining Pitch Award, Purdue Elevator Pitch Competition, 2014
• Best Poster Presentation Award and First Prize, BMEGSA Research Symposium, 2013
• Ross Fellowship, Purdue University, 2012
• Outstanding Student of the College Award, KIT College, Maharashtra, 2009
• Maharashtra State Government Literature Award, 2008
• Bangalore Bio Award for Best Poster, 2006
• National CSIR Diamond Jubilee Invention Award for School Children, 2004
• All India Marathi Science Research Award, 2004
• Appreciation from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for patentable innovation, 2004
• Future Creation Excellence Award, International Young Innovators’ Meet, Japan, 2004

Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Applications

• pH-Sensitive Smart Biomaterials for Chronic Wound Monitoring (Supported by Molbio Diagnostics): Developing silk fibroin-based hydrogels integrated with fluorescent pH sensors for non-invasive monitoring of chronic wound environments. Our research focuses on engineering responsive hydrogel systems, investigating crosslinking chemistry and gelation mechanisms, optimizing mechanical and sensing properties, and evaluating their potential for wound diagnostics. Collaboration opportunities include polymer and crosslinking chemistry, optical sensing, fluorescence imaging, biosensor engineering, wound physiology, and translational biomedical device development.
• Antimicrobial Silk Fibroin Hydrogels (Supported by Molbio Diagnostics): Engineering silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-incorporated silk fibroin hydrogels for sustained antimicrobial activity and potential wound-healing applications. We investigate how nanoparticle incorporation, silver release kinetics, and hydrogel properties influence antibacterial performance. Collaboration opportunities include microbiology, bacterial biofilms, antimicrobial resistance, nanoparticle–cell interactions, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of wound-healing biomaterials.
• Tunable Silk Fibroin Scaffolds for Controlled Drug Delivery (Supported by CEPH, Plaksha University and Molbio Diagnostics): Designing silk fibroin-based hydrogels, porous sponges, and scaffolds with tunable structural, mechanical, and degradation properties to achieve programmable therapeutic release. We are exploring how processing approaches such as ultrasonication, self-assembly, and lyophilization influence scaffold microarchitecture, material performance, and molecular transport. Collaboration opportunities include polymer physics, advanced materials characterization, drug delivery, mathematical modeling of diffusion and degradation, and therapeutic formulation development.
• Tissue Engineering and Advanced Biomaterial Platforms (Supported by Plaksha University Start-up Grant and Molbio Diagnostics): Developing biocompatible silk fibroin-based scaffolds for tissue regeneration, with an interest in extending these platforms towards 3D bioprinting, cell–material interactions, and organ-on-chip systems. We are particularly interested in exploring regenerative applications such as bone and soft-tissue repair, including the delivery of bioactive molecules that modulate inflammation and oxidative stress. Collaboration opportunities include cell biology, regenerative medicine, bioprinting, microfluidics, mechanobiology, and preclinical evaluation to advance these platforms towards biological validation and translation.

Engineering Education, STEM Outreach and Inclusive Learning Research

• Science on Wheels – Experiential STEM Education (Supported by DST–NCSTC, Government of India): Delivering and evaluating hands-on STEM interventions in sustainability, robotics, and space technology, across rural, border and underprivileged schools in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Collaboration areas: Science communication, learning sciences, STEM education assessment, and large-scale impact evaluation.    
• Women in STEM – Participation, Retention and Leadership: Investigating institutional, educational, and sociocultural factors influencing women's STEM pathways and developing evidence-based strategies for inclusion and leadership. Collaboration areas: Gender studies, educational psychology, higher education policy, and cross-institutional research.
• Engineering Education – Innovative Pedagogy and Student Development: Studying experiential, project-based, and interdisciplinary learning approaches and their impact on creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial mindset. Collaboration areas: Learning sciences, curriculum design, educational assessment, and pedagogical innovation.
• Reimagining Engineering Education in India: Examining post-colonial influences on Indian engineering education and exploring more inclusive, interdisciplinary, and contextually relevant educational models. Collaboration areas: History and philosophy of engineering, higher education policy, and comparative education.
• Inclusive STEM Learning for Students with Visual Impairments: Designing and assessing accessible STEM interventions using tactile models, auditory feedback, and multisensory learning approaches. Collaboration areas: Assistive technologies, haptics, human–computer interaction, accessibility, and inclusive education.

Select Peer reviewed Bioengineering research papers

• Meshram P., Sarkar Supriya, & Joshi, R., (2026) Silk Fibroin for Wound Drug Delivery: From Material Design to Controlled Release, submitted to MedComm
• Meshram, P. & Joshi R. (2024). Silk Fibroin-Based Scaffolds: Potential for Applications in Wound Healing. Evolutionary Studies In Imaginative Culture, 337–347. https://doi.org/10.70082/esiculture.vi.814
• Poole, K. M., Nelson, C. E., Joshi, R., Martin, J. R., Gupta, M. K., Haws, S. C., Kavanaugh, T. E., Skala, M. C.,  Duvall, C. L. (2014). ROS-responsive microspheres for on demand antioxidant therapy in a model of diabetic peripheral arterial disease. Biomaterials, 41, 166-75. (Link)
• Joshi, R., Nelson, C. E., Poole, K. M., Skala, M. C., & Duvall, C. L. (2013). Dual pH- and temperature-responsive microparticles for protein delivery to ischemic tissues. Acta biomaterialia, 9(5), 6526-34. (Link)
• Ramaswamy, A. K., Hamilton, M., Joshi, R., Kline, B. P., Li, R., Wang, P., & Goergen, C. J. (2013). Molecular imaging of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms. The Scientific World Journal. (Link)
• Joshi, R. (2007). Low Calorie Biscuits from Banana Peel Pulp. Journal of Solid Waste Technology & Management. Vol. 33 / 7, p 142-147. (Link)

Peer-reviewed Publications in Engineering Education

• Joshi, R., Dhebar, K., Sethi, S., Syeeda, Z., Anjali, & de Lima, J. (In Press). Rebuilding Heritage via Transversal Skills: A Tangible Stepwell Building Game to Teach Transversal Skills for Sustainability to Engineering Students in India. In Innovations in Education 4.0: Select Proceedings of the International Conference on Transforming Higher Education for Future—THEC 2025, India
• Joshi, R., Shrivastava, S., Thomas, N., Arora, M., Nahar, A. (2026). AI at the Chalkface: A Multi-agent RAG Assistant for Active Learning in STEM. In: Mitra, S., Saha, S., Panigrahi, B.K., Sarkar, S., Chaudhury, S. (eds) Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence. PReMI 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pp 391–399, vol 16358. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18480-1_40
• Tripathi, H., and Joshi R., (2025). Building Future-Ready Graduates: Lessons from a Competency-Based, Experiential Approach. European Association for International Education (EAIE) Winter Forum Submission 2025; https://www.eaie.org/resource/2025-winter-forum-skill-building-for-the-future.html
• Satheesan, N.C. et al. (2024). A New Reflective Thinking Framework to Improve Project-Based Learning of Undergraduate Engineering Students. In: Khanra Jha, S., Shenoy, M.V., Bhattacharyya, T., Seshaiyer, P. (eds) Perspective and Strategies on Newage Education and Creative Learning. ICON BITS 2023. Springer Proceedings in Humanities and Social Sciences. Springer, Singapore. pp 319–329
  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3701-7_29 
• Chand, S.N., Jain, R., Monga, D., Joshi, R. (2024). Survey-Based Measurements of the Entrepreneurial Mindset of Indian Engineering Students. In: Auer, M.E., Cukierman, U.R., Vendrell Vidal, E., Tovar Caro, E. (eds) Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education. ICL 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 911. Springer, Cham. pp. 165-176. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53382-2_16 
• Monga, D., Jain, R., Chand, S.N., Joshi, R. (2024). Decoding the Entrepreneurial Mindset of Engineering Education in India-A Qualitative Lens. In: Auer, M.E., Cukierman, U.R., Vendrell Vidal, E., Tovar Caro, E. (eds) Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education. ICL 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 911. Springer, Cham. pp. 152-164 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53382-2_15 
• Meshram P., Joshi R., Kandakatla R., Agrawal A., Prasad S., Mayanglambam P., Enablers and Barriers for engaging in Engineering Education Research in India, presented at Research in Engineering Education Symposium (REES)-2024, KLE Technological University, Hubli, Karnataka, India; published by Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN); pp. 146-155; https://doi.org/10.52202/073963-0019 
• Kandakatla R., Agrawal A., Joshi R., Post-Colonial Agenda for Engineering Education Research in India, presented at the Research in Engineering Education Symposium (REES)-2024, KLE Technological University, Hubli, Karnataka, India; ; published by Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN); pp. 14-23; https://doi.org/10.52202/073963-0003
• Jain R., Joshi R., Dwivedi V., Kumar S., Badami V. (2022). Gamification for Teaching Sustainability to Engineering Students, IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE), 2022, pp. 1-9 ; https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE56618.2022.9962626 
• Joshi R., Hadley D., Nuthikattu S., Fok S., Goldbloom-Helzner L., Curtis M. (2022). Concept Mapping as a Metacognition Tool in a Problem-Solving-Based BME Course during In-Person and Online Instruction. Journal of Biomed Engineering Education; https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-022-00066-3 
• Joshi R., Ghosh S., Simileysky A., Bhanot M. (2021). Structuring Formative Feedback in an Online Graphics Design Course in BME. Biomed Eng Education 1, pp. 325–333; https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-021-00046-z 
• Joshi, R., Choi J. (2021). Facilitating student metacognition in a problem-solving-based BME course, Proceedings of the 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference. Doi:10.18260/1-2—37172;  https://peer.asee.org/37172 
• Joshi, R., White J. (2020). Design Thinking Approach to Identify Barriers to Engineering Education Reform in India, Proceedings of the 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference. Doi: 10.18260/1-2--34397 https://peer.asee.org/34397 
• Joshi, R., Zoltowski, C. B., Brightman, A. O., Eddington, S. M., Buzzanell, P. M, Torres D. (2018). Evaluating the Impact of Design Sessions on Participants’ Perceptions of Diversity and Inclusion in the Professional Formation of Biomedical Engineers,  Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. Doi: 10.18260/1-2--30447 https://peer.asee.org/30447 
• Eddington, S. M., Zoltowski, C. B., Brightman, A. O., Joshi, R., Buzzanell, P. M., Torres D. (2018). Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering: Students’ Perceptions of Learning and Engaging with Difference, Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah (selected in best paper category). Doi: 10.18260/1-2--30340 https://peer.asee.org/30340 
• Zoltowski, C. B., Eddington, S. M., Brightman, A. O., Buzzanell, P. M., Joshi, R. (2018). Exploring the Professional Formation of Engineers and Diversity and Inclusion through Design Sessions, 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE), San Hose, California, USA, 2018, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2018.8659044  
  

Books

• Joshi, R. (2020) “Collagen Biografts for Tunable Drug Delivery”, Springer Briefs in Applied Sciences and Technology, 2021, ISBN - 978-3-030-63816-0, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63817-7
• Joshi, R. (2008). “Bhartiya Balvaidnyanikachi Garudzep” (A giant leap of an Indian child scientist), Saket publications, India. ISBN - 978-81-7786-363-5
  

Book Chapters

• de Lima, J., Isaac, S., Lundström, O., Joshi, R., & Engelbrecht, E. M. S. (2026). Evaluating Interventions That Develop Transferable Competencies and Skills. In G. Saunders-Smits, L. Van den Broeck, & T. Johannsen (Editors), SEFI Handbook on Teaching Transferable Competencies and Skills in Engineering (pp. 863–880). TU Delft OPEN Publishing. https://doi.org/10.59490/mt.266.97
• Joshi, R., Baligar P., Kandakatla R., Kaur R., Kaloni N., Khandelwal T. (2026). From Aspiration to Access: Investigating Women’s Leadership Pathways in Indian Higher Education. In: Shivani V. (ed) Bharati: Nari to Narayani, Silent Strength to Strategic Force. Vol. 1, Bhartiya Vidwat Parishad. ISBN: 978-81-954722-7-7
• Joshi, R. (2025). Biomedical Applications of Silk Fibroin. In: Kandasubramanian, B., Jaya Prakash, N. (eds) Engineering Natural Silk. Engineering Materials. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-7901-7_8 
  

Conference Papers

• Biomedical Engineering Conferences
  • Sandhu, E., Joshi R., (2026), Silver Nanoparticle-laden Silk Fibroin Hydrogels retain Antibacterial Activity at low AgNP concentrations. 3rd International Conference on Advanced Materials and Devices for Futuristic Applications (IC-AMDFA-2026), Chandigarh, India
  • Meshram P., Joshi R., (2024). Silk Fibroin-Based Scaffolds: Potential for Applications in Wound Healing. International Conference on Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine (ICTERM-24) Zurich, Switzerland
  • Joshi R.,  Watkins L., Harbin S. (2015). Designer Collagen-Fibril Biograft Materials with Tunable Molecular Delivery, Annual Meeting of BMES, Tampa, Florida
  • Joshi R.,  Harbin S. (2013). Effect of Intermolecular Collagen Cross-link Content on matrix degradation, Biomaterials Day co-sponsored by Society for Biomaterials (SFB), Nashville, TN, USA, 2013 (First Prize for presentation)
  • Joshi R.,  Duval C.(2011). Smart microspheres for stimuli responsive drug delivery, Biomaterials Day co-sponsored by Society for Biomaterials (SFB), West Lafayette, IN, USA, 2011
  • Joshi R.,  Duval C.(2011). Stimuli Responsive Microspheres for Sustained Protein Release in Ischemic Environment, Annual Meeting of BMES, Hartford, Connecticut
• Engineering Education Conferences
  • Singh, P., Budati, N., Jaya Akshitha, B., Kaur, S., Sharma, P., Pawar, S., & Joshi, R. (2026). STEM learning interventions in physics for VI students. EMPOWER 2026 Conference Proceedings.
  • Joshi, R., Shrivastava, S., Thomas, N., Arora, M., & Nahar, A. (2025). AI at the chalkface: A multi-agent RAG assistant for active learning in STEM [Conference presentation]. 11th International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, IIT Delhi in collaboration with Machine Intelligence Unit, Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata, India.
  • Chance, S., Johri, A., Cruz Moreno, S. I., Direito, I., Polmear, M., Kovacs, H., & Joshi, R. (2024, September). Securing international fellowships for engineering education research. 52nd Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI 2024), Lausanne, Switzerland. Zenodo. zenodo.orgJoshi R., Pawar S., Raina A., Monga D., Optics Education via Experiments for Blind Students, presented at EDUCON 2024 from May 8-11, 2024 in Kos, Greece
  • Pawar S., Joshi R., Development of multisensory aid for teaching optics to visually impaired students, EMPOWER Conference (2023), IIT Madras Research Park
  • Chand N., Joshi R., Mehta S., Ayyappan C., Mayanglambam P., Kumar P., Pawar S., A New Reflective Framework to Improve Project-based Learning of Engineering Students in India, ICON-BITS-23: International Conference on Best Innovative Teaching Strategies (2023), BITS Pilani, Rajasthan, India
  • Joshi R., Jain R., Paudel V., Sangwan A, Gupta V., Dwivedi V., Inclusive Circuit-Making for Visually Impaired Middle School Students in India, EMPOWER Conference (2022), IIT Madras Research Park (Link)
  • Jain R., Joshi R., Tamaskar S. (2021) Sustainability Lens To Develop Entrepreneurial Minded Learning Within Engineering Students. 2021 World Sustainability Conference, organized by the Green Institute
  • Joshi, R., Kim H., Shi Y., Wang X., (2020). Student Motivation Assessment in a Sophomore BME Course that Switched Online in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting
  • Joshi, R., Hadley D., Hammes E., Niesen A. (2019). Fostering An Entrepreneurial Mindset Early-on in Biomedical Engineering Students, Annual Meeting of Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Cebull, H., Joshi, R., Brightman, A., Aboelzahab, A., Muskat, J., Xu, X., Kim M. (2018). Early Implementation of Project-based, Self-learning Module at Sophomore Level to Develop CAD Skills in BME, Annual Meeting of BMES, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Joshi, R., Brightman, A., Aboelzahab, A., Venderley, M., Tankasala, D., Thompson, M., Han, S. (2017). New Project-based, Self-learning Module at Sophomore Level to Jump-start Computer Aided Design (CAD) Skill Development in Biomedical Engineering Education, Annual Meeting of BMES, Phoenix, Arizona

• Indian provisional patent Application No. 202611027569, “Biocompatible Wound Care Material for Simultaneous Wound Monitoring and Treatment And Method of Preparing Thereof” filed March 9, 2026
• U.S. Patent No. 10,314,940 “Collagen-based Therapeutic Delivery Systems” issued June 11, 2019
• Indian Patent No. 240466, “Process for Preparation of Biscuits using Banana Peel Pulp”, issued May 12, 2010