The Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani – Pilani Campus, is delighted to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Ravikumar Guntu and Dr. Rakshanda Showkat, who have joined us as esteemed faculty members.

Dr. Ravikumar Guntu brings with him a rich research background in Hydrology and Water Resources. He was previously a Research Scientist in the Hydrology Section at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany, and continues to serve as an Affiliate Guest Researcher at the same institution. Dr. Guntu completed his Ph.D. in Hydrology from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, where he was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Doctoral Research Award in 2024. His scholarly contributions include several impactful publications in leading journals such as the Journal of Hydrology. He has also been a recipient of highly competitive fellowships, including the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship, DAAD Fellowship, and DST INSPIRE Fellowship. His research interests encompass Water Resources Engineering, Hydroclimatology, Climate Science, Natural Hazards Risk Assessment, Compound Event Modelling, and Complexity Science.

Dr. Rakshanda Showkat joins us with a strong academic foundation and hands-on experience in the domain of Geotechnical Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in 2024, following an M.Tech. in Geotechnical Engineering from NIT Srinagar and a B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora. Her research focuses on the numerical and experimental analysis of unsaturated soils, soil-structure interactions, soil-reinforcement techniques, reliability analysis, and the development of constitutive models. Dr. Showkat has also enriched her academic journey through postdoctoral engagements, serving as a Research Associate at IISc Bengaluru and later as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Bombay.

We are excited to have Dr. Guntu and Dr. Showkat as part of our growing academic community. Their expertise and contributions are certain to inspire our students and enhance the department’s research and teaching capabilities. We look forward to a journey of excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

Dr Dipendu Bhunia (Ph.D, Aff.M ASCE, L.M.ICI)
Head Of Department
Department of Civil Engineering
BITS Pilani – Pilani Campus