Chandni Joshi is a first year Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Kentucky. Her primary research interests include sustainable development and appropriate technology based applications in underdeveloped regions for generation of reliable, alternative sources of energy. During her Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering, also at the University of Kentucky, she traveled to three sub-Saharan African countries and India, implementing waste to energy solutions. Her work in conversion of waste plastic to fuel oil, and biomass to non-synthetic pesticide has been awarded at national and international conferences. She is also the lead research assistant of the University of Kentucky Appropriate Technology and Sustainability Research team, which recently received the AIChE Youth Council on Sustainable Science and Technology (YCOSST) award. She plans to continue in this research field for her graduate studies.