• Ph.D. Student in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

I was born and raised in a quaint sleepy town in Northern Pakistan. As with most small-town dwellers, I am a hopeless romantic, who finds joy in storytelling and relishes the camaraderie of cooking and dining together while reciting the verses of regional poetry and swaying to the melodies of folk music.

I am an environmental enthusiast. My love for protecting the environment stemmed mostly from my upbringing closely connected to the earth and its fruit while growing up in the beautiful valley of Mansehra, situated at the feet of a beautiful mountain range. While initially, concerns about water and air pollution were primarily aesthetic, they later shaped my decision to choose environmental engineering as a career.

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. After graduation, I engaged in a World Bank-funded project that studied livelihood enhancement. This experience exposed me to the harsh realities faced by impoverished communities and the profound impact of environmental degradation on their lives. Working in the field inspired me to learn more; so, I enrolled at the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water where I pursued a master's degree in environmental engineering. Located in Southern Pakistan, this center operates in a region grappling with water scarcity and compromised water quality within the agriculture sector; living there I got a chance to witness the effects of these issues firsthand.

To be able to contribute professionally towards finding solutions to these problems, I wanted to undergird all my ideas with scientific backing and deepen my understanding of various agricultural inputs. So, I chose to continue my graduate studies and started a Ph.D. in Soil and Crop Sciences at CSU with the support of a Fulbright Scholarship and joined Dr. Thomas Borch's lab.

• –present Ph.D. Student in Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

MENAFN04112025000199003603ID1110293270