Episodes

Welcome to the Word to the W.I.S.E.

A podcast series brought to you by Underwriters Laboratories, a leader in global safety sciences We interview remarkable women who have chosen science and engineering as a career and are dedicated to creating a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Irrespective of the fields they represent, these women are recognised for conducting painstakingly independent research to deliver transformative and lasting scientific contributions and improve lives and working conditions. Our aim is to bring to you their unique personal and professional stories as a point of inspiration, to choose the path of science and engineering, and be a part of this growing community.

Our guest today Harshini Kanhekar is India’s first woman firefighter. She began shattering stereotypes by becoming the first woman in 46 years to graduate from the National Fire Service College (NFSC) in Nagpur.

For Harshini this is all in a day’s work, after all she believes no field of work belongs to any gender and that applies especially to alternative careers in the fields of science and engineering which address issues of safety and security.

Dr. Judy Jeevarajan has dedicated her career to the science of safety. Her ground-breaking leadership in energy storage technology led to her work at NASA, and now she leads the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute for Underwriters Laboratories. Kicking off our podcast, Dr. Jeevarajan chronicles her journey in the field of Battery Safety and takes us through her achievements and challenges.

A pioneer of the biotechnology industry her journey began in a garage in the 1970s and with grit and determination to buck the trend of Indian women running a corporation, Dr. Kiran has turned Biocon into an innovation nerve-centre that is committed to affordable solutions in healthcare. She is living proof that girls can do anything they set their minds on.

Our guest today is fondly known as the Batterywali of India. Dr Rashi Gupta, Founder Director, Vision Mechatronics has pioneered the manufacturing of advanced lithium batteries and made herself a name to reckon with in the field of renewable energy and energy storage.

On this episode, we speak to Rashmi Urdhwareshe former director of the automotive research association or ARAI, a cooperative industrial research association by the automotive industry, as well as the Ministry of Industries.

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Underwriters Laboratories brings you excerpts from our conversations on the Word to the W.I.S.E. podcast with remarkable women who have made their mark in the field of STEM.

They have very important messages for girls or women looking to make a mark in the fields of science and engineering.

In this episode we speak to Nidhi Pant, Co-founder of S4S or Science for Society technologies. S4S is a start-up that helps farmers preserve their produce and get a better deal.

In this episode, we speak to Ashwini Hingne Manager Climate at WRI or World Resources Institute.

Ashwini has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in Public and Economic policy, specializing in Environmental and Resource Economics. Her work focuses on areas such as carbon pricing and sustainable development.

In this episode we meet someone who leads from the front when it comes to the world of international safety standards, Sonya Bird, Director, International Standards at Underwriters Laboratories.

She was named Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Underwriters Laboratories in recognition of her significant and sustained contributions to fulfilling UL’s public safety mission.