Yashika Agarwalla M.S.

in Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Fall 2013

The whole idea that scarcity of water would stir up the Third World War itself speaks volumes about
environments need to be preserved. My interest to pursue masters in Environmental Engineering first
took shape in my third semester while working on my seminar on Green Buildings. As an
undergraduate at the Civil Engineering Department of Nirma University, I was introduced to a wide
gamut of subjects but it was environmental engineering that enraptured me the most!
What encourages me the most to take up this field is that in the face of todays deteriorating environment,
relentless efforts are to be made to preserve its tranquility. With the increasing awareness of the
importance of environmental protection, environmental control is developing into a new industry with a
promising prospect. But, it is only through masters would I be able to specialize into this field. With the
desire to delve deeper into this timely important subject, I took up Sustainable Building Technologies
as an elective during my 7th semester which only continued to strengthen my passion to take up this field.
This course brought me in close association with the available & other evolving green technologies.
Talking in civil diction, a good technical career can only be built upon a firm academic foundation
fostered by world class education, pragmatic and comprehensive learning and enriching peer
collaboration. The environmental engineering course at Nirma University touched upon various aspects.
But now while entering into a graduate program I wish to streamline into the field of Environmental fluid
mechanics & hydrology. The Environmental Engineering graduate program with specialization in
Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering offered at University of Illionois, Urbana
Champaign would provide me with the ample resources and a conducive environment to hone myself and
acquire the knowledge, tools and fundamentals necessary to be a successful environmental academician
and consultant. An MS Degree from University of Illinoiss premiere setup could be a key step towards
my aim to be a successful environmental consultant in my country India. Marred by a rapid development
spree over the last decade, India faces serious environmental issues, the aspect am interested the most is
flood prevention , impact of changing meteorology on hydrology & sustainable use of water.
Coming from Assam, a flood prone area of India, I have witnessed massive catastrophes and losses of
life and property each year. I aspire to bring a positive difference in the lives of my people through my
knowledge.
Articulating about my research work, my paper on Impact of the changing Urban Meteorology on
Human Thermal Comfort in Ahmedabad in association with Indian Meteorological Department ,
Ahmedabad under my professor, Mr. Anurag Kandya was presented at the International Conference on
Urban Climate 8 , Dublin , Ireland in August 2012. This task helped me improve my analyzing skills &
got me to the grassroots of environment phenomenon influencing climatic conditions & also helped me
build on Excel skills. As a part of my 7th undergraduate thesis, Ive taken up the topic of A Time Series
Comparative Analysis of Human Thermal Comfort of the Megacities of India Using Bio-meteorological
Indices in the context of emerging urbanization trends. On the basis of former paper, this study has been
extended to Indian megacities all four having undergone massive urbanization in the past. I have
established the changing trends in temperature using Man Kendall Test and have used trends in Thom and
Sipel & Passel Indices to associate effect of relative humidity and wind speed respectively on
temperature. The trends observed were then linked with the urbanization trends of the city. Another
achievement came my way when another module of my former work on The Changing Climate of
Ahmedabad City: A Scientific Perspective Based on Multivariate Analysis in the form of a poster was
presented at the Third National Conference on Climate Change 3-4 November, 2012 organized by the
Indian Climate Research Network (ICRN). At UIUC, Professor Megan Konars work on analyzing

how climate change is anticipated to dramatically alter rainfall and crop yield patterns, and trade
pattern in particular, seems very insightful as it would help my work discover new levels under
his expert guidance.

Yashika Agarwalla M.S. in Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Fall 2013

During my third year of under-graduation, my work on Air Pollution Management through Innovations
in Construction Technology- A Case Study of Using Semiconductors (TiO2) in Cement for Reducing
Tropospheric NOx Concentration was one the very few potential projects to receive extensive funding
from the university. Through this project we aimed to devise a self-cleaning mechanism in cement to
reduce NOx in the environment. Added on, my inspiration to take up environment engineering as an
educational goal was further strengthened when my idea on Innovations in White Cement was awarded
amongst Ten Best Concept Notes in India by Birla White Cement.
With due interest in building energy consumption which account to almost 40% of energy consumptions ,
another aspect of my research was on Simulating the Impact of Various Constructional Schemes on the
Air-Conditioning Load of a Building which has received acceptance at the 5th International Congress on
Environmental Research. As a part of this research I got my hands on a building energy simulation
software, e-Quest. This project was based on reducing the energy loads of a building by inculcating
sustainable technologies within it.
Having embarked upon as a novice researcher, I then decided to gain exposure into the industry & thus
took up a months internship at Oil & Natural Gas Corporation under the aegis of Mr. Arun Kumar
Mittal, Deputy General Manager, Civil Department, Nazira, Assam Asset. During this tenure, I learnt
about its organizational structure and for the first time came to terms with the actual world of tendering.
As a trainee, I had taken up the job of planning out the activities of Resurfacing & strengthening of roads
within the colony. To get a glimpse of the environmental scenario, I studied the water supply system
there. My morale was further boosted by the personalized certificate from my mentor on account of my
diligence & soft skills.
I have always had an inclination towards serving the society, a testimony to this was Medibeep, a cofounded initiative to provide free vaccination alerts through SMS. As the Vision & Strategy Head, I
helped Medibeep spread through its partnered organization Lioness Club of Brahmaputra Valley in the
north-eastern states of India. This project had received appreciation from Gujarats Honble Chief
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. Moreover, this initiative was also internationally appreciated at the Global
Initiatives Symposium, 2012, Taiwan.
Apart from building a portfolio in research at an undergraduate level, I continued achieving distinction in
academics and thus maintained a record of being amongst the top five students in my batch. Also, I did
not just restrict myself to this geek side, while at Nirma University; I received several accolades in public
speaking, folk & western dance. Another aspect that I have always kept improving is my interest for
sketching in which I have received formal training of four years.
Having stated my purpose to seek admission & enlisted the efforts made in the same direction , I will
make full use of the education imparted by experienced faculty at your esteemed university, advanced
research facilities and an inspiring academic climate. I would take it as a matter of extreme pride, if
granted a financial assistance of any sort; either in the form of a Teaching or Research Assistant at the
university. While continuing to deepen my theoretical knowledge, I will endeavor to acquire latest
information on environmental science and technology. In addition, I will continue to improve my
experimental skills, including the skills of operating new instruments. All those efforts are designed for
just one purpose to develop myself into a leading environmental specialist who can make important
contributions to the countrys fledgling cause of environmental engineering as a researcher or a
consultant.
Sincerely
Yashika Agarwalla