Kalpani Kumari

Dr. Kalpani Kumari is a Research Fellow in the Condensed Matter Physics and Solid-State Chemistry program at NIFS. She obtained her B.Sc. (Hons) degree in 2013 from the University of Peradeniya, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in 2015 and an M.Phil. (Physics) degree in 2017 from the same university. In 2022, she earned her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Peradeniya with a thesis titled "Development of Novel Poly(ethylene oxide)/Conducting Polymer-Based Electrolytes and Graphite-Based Counter Electrodes for Dye/Q-Dot Sensitized Solar Cells." Dr. Kalpani received the Young Scientist Award at the International Scientist Awards on Engineering, Science, and Medicine in India (2021). Additionally, she received a Best Poster Award at the 5th International Conference on Functional Materials & Devices (ICFMD 2015) in Malaysia and an NRC Merit Award for Scientific Publication in 2018.

From 2022 to 2024, Dr. Kalpani served as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. Since 2022, she has also been a Visiting Lecturer for the B.Sc. (External) degree programs in Biological and Physical Sciences at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Kalpani has published over 30 research papers and actively participated in numerous national and international conferences and workshops.

Research Interest:

Dr. Kalpani’s research primarily focuses on Materials Science and Nanotechnology for various energy applications, including dye-sensitized solar cells, quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries. She also has an interest in science education.