Making J&K proud! Young Rajouri professor figures in Stanford University’s top world scientists’ list

Srinagar: A 31-year-old scientist from the border district of Rajouri has earned a rare honor by becoming one of the youngest Indians to feature on Stanford University’s list of top 2 percent scientists in the world.

Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry in Government Degree College, Mendhar, has published research publications on green nanomaterials and biopolymers for various applications including biomedical, packaging, and water treatment.

He has published more than 15 books in the area of polymers, nanomaterials, and green materials with publishers of international repute such as Elsevier, CRC Press, Wiley, Scrivener publishing, etc. He is a member of American Chemical Society and Royal Society of Chemistry.

The database of the independent study has been published in one of the highly-rated journals, PLOS Biology.  “It is a moment of gratification to be on the list. It will inspire the young generation of Jammu and Kashmir to work for furthering science especially from Pir Panjal region”, Dr. Shakeel told The Kashmir Monitor. 

It was a hard-won success for a 31-year-old scientist who lost his father when he was just a year old.

“I was just one year child when my father passed away. At that time there was no breadwinner in my family. I had suffered a lot during my childhood and sometimes it was difficult for me to continue my studies. I am first generation learner in my family”, he said.

The principal of GDC, Mendhar, Dileep K. Raina said it is a matter of great pride that Dr. Shakeel has featured on the prestigious list. “It is a matter of great pride for Government Degree College Mendhar that Dr. Shakeel Ahmed of the Department of Chemistry (GDCM) has been named among the top 2% scientists of the world in the field of polymer chemistry,” said the college in a release.

Stanford University recently released a list of 1,59,683 top 2 percent of most-cited scientists in various disciplines. It includes 1,500 Indians and most of them are from IITs, IISc, and other top institutions.

Hailing from Dhangri village, Dr. Shakeel completed his B.Sc from Government PG College, Rajouri. He completed M.Sc in 2012 from Dr. Saiqa Ikram Department of Chemistry, Jamia Milia Islamia. In 2016, he completed his Ph.D. from Jamia Milia Islamia.

For the last three and a half years, he is serving as an assistant professor in GDC, Mendhar in Poonch district. He has authored numerous books that are available on Amazon and other platforms.

Some of the books include ‘Green and Sustainable Materials: Processing and Characterization’, ‘Alginates:  Applications in the Biomedical and Food Industries and ‘Marine Polysaccharides: Advances and Multifaceted Applications’.