Rucha Joshi

Associate Professor, Plaksha University
PhD, Purdue University
Areas of Expertise
  • Engineering Education
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Drug Delivery
Rucha Joshi

Prof Rucha Joshi is an Associate Professor at Plaksha University. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Purdue University. She earned a BS in Biotechnology Engineering from Shivaji University, an MS in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. Her teaching and outreach work supports inclusive, accessible engineering education.

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

  • 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

  • 3T PLAY project: uses tangible activities to develop transversal skills in students at technical universities.
  • National Science Foundation-funded project at Purdue focused on the professional formation of engineers and advancing diversity and inclusion.
  • Grand Challenges Scholars Program at Plaksha, directed by Prof Joshi from 2021 to 2024, creating integrated curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular learning.

  • Marathi book describing Prof Joshi’s journey representing India in Japan and her low-calorie biscuit invention.
  • Springer book on collagen-based drug delivery, 2021.

  • Low-calorie biscuits made from banana peel pulp.
  • Collagen-based therapeutic delivery systems.
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