Neha Thakare
Pune
Summary
Chemical engineer specializing in hydrodynamic cavitation–based advanced oxidation for nutrient removal and recovery from high-strength wastewater. Skilled in developing and optimizing reactor geometries to achieve MAP-grade (struvite) fertilizer recovery. Recognized nationally by ICAR for innovation in waste-to-value processes. Two years of consultancy experience in wastewater process design and optimization. Committed to energy-efficient oxidation technologies for sustainable water treatment.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Scholar & Teaching Fellow
Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University
Nagpur
01.2022 - Current
- PhD research focused on the development of a novel chemical processing method for the wastewater sector using hydrodynamic cavitation for the removal and recovery of ammonia and phosphorus from high-strength effluents.
- Designed and scaled up optimized cavitation reactor with different geometries for ammonia and phosphorus removal as well as recovery from high-strength wastewater.
- The work involved systematic process and formulation optimization, performance testing, and mechanistic analysis of mass transfer and reaction phenomena.
- The outcomes demonstrate scalable, energy-efficient solutions with potential for nutrient recovery and value-added product generation.
- Delivered lectures on Piping Engineering and on waste water recycling to final-year undergraduate students.
- Supervised B.Tech projects on process optimization in wastewater treatment, Liquid emulsion membrane for metal separation, waste water treatment of API compounds.
Intern
Amalgam Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
Pune
02.2013 - 06.2013
- Contributed to the company’s bioculture program integrating biological and physicochemical wastewater treatment, assisted in proposal preparation.
Intern
CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory (NCL)
Pune
01.2012 - 12.2012
- Completed process design and simulation for manufacturing of Sudan Red Dye under the INDUS SCHOLAR Program.
- Developed material and energy balances, and proposed process improvements for small-scale chemical production systems.
Intern
Reliance Industries Ltd.
Nagothane
01.2011 - 12.2011
- Gained hands-on experience in polymer processing operations and industrial safety protocols.
- Observed large-scale plant operations involving fluid transport, extrusion, and process monitoring.
Education
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University
Nagpur12.2025
M.Tech - Chemical Engineering
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
Pune01.2019
Post-Graduate Diploma - Piping Engineering
Asian Academy of Professional Training
Pune01.2014
B.E. - Petrochemical Engineering
MIT
Pune01.2012
Diploma - Chemical Engineering
Govt College
Yavatmal01.2009
Skills
- Qualitative research
- Process optimization
- Research proposal development
- Technical writing
- Wastewater treatment
- Statistical analysis with RSM and ANOVA
- Sample characterization techniques
- Standard wastewater analysis methods
Accomplishments
- National Winner for best research innovation in wastewater to valuable fertilizer organised by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- Central Government Fellowship Holder for Ph.D. research in Chemical Engineering.
- Presented research at CHEMCON 2025 on hydrodynamic cavitation for wastewater treatment.
- Invited Speaker at AgTech Summit 2025, presented work on sustainable oxidation treatment for waste water.
- Research paper under review: Investigation on the Process Parameters and Geometric Configurations in Hydrodynamic Cavitation Process for the Removal of Ammoniacal Nitrogen.
- Published Book Chapter: Challenges for Industrial Applications of Nanofluids (2023).
- Published Book Chapter: Environment and Health Impacts of Nanofluids (2023).
- Review paper: Application of Sono chemically Prepared Photocatalysts in Water and Wastewater Treatment, Journal of Cleaner Production (2024).
- Review paper: Ammoniacal Nitrogen Removal and Its Recovery Approaches from Wastewater, Separation and Purification Technology (2025).
Languages
- Hindi
- Marathi
- English
Learning Skills
- Gained working knowledge of AutoCAD, Origin, MS Office, MATLAB, and RSM, Anova through project and research work.
- Hands-on experience with UV–Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, Flame AAS, Rheometer, for sample characterization and analysis.
- Learned and practiced standard wastewater analysis techniques, including Kjeldahl nitrogen determination, BOD, and COD testing.
Timeline
Research Scholar & Teaching Fellow
Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University
01.2022 - Current
Intern
Amalgam Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
02.2013 - 06.2013
Intern
CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory (NCL)
01.2012 - 12.2012
Intern
Reliance Industries Ltd.
01.2011 - 12.2011
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University
M.Tech - Chemical Engineering
Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
Post-Graduate Diploma - Piping Engineering
Asian Academy of Professional Training
B.E. - Petrochemical Engineering
MIT
Diploma - Chemical Engineering
Govt College