Ph.D. scholar from MSU received Shastri Indo Canadian Shastri Research Student Fellowship under the Doctoral category

Ankita Shroff Ph.D. scholar working under the guidance of Prof. Anjali Karolia from the Department of Clothing and Textiles, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, received Shastri Indo-Canadian Shastri Research Student Fellowship under the Doctoral category in 2019. She worked at the Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta, Canada for one semester (June -Dec 2019).

Her research work aims to develop an antimicrobial and insect-repellent fabric, the intended application of her research is to preserve museum textiles from deterioration. Her efforts focuses on creating a scientific environment for the heritage textiles thus extending the lifespan and preserving them for our future generations.

During her fellowship period at the University of Alberta Canada, she conducted a part of her research under the supervision of Dr. Patricia Dolez, Department of Human Ecology, and presented her work in the department. She also supported a project aimed at producing fire-retardant, liquid barrier, UV blocking, and insect repellency for comfortable activewear for the company- JessBlack.

Based on her performance, she has been awarded a fully-funded MITACS Accelerate Scholarship. MITACS is a Candian Network of Centers of Excellence that supports research-based innovation and works closely with partners in industry, academia, and government in Canada.

To fulfill her scholarship, Ankita would be traveling back to the University of Alberta for a year from January 2021 aiming to work for the completion of her research and the project.