Meet the Professor: Dr. Sreekala Bajwa

Dr. Sreekala Gopalapillai Bajwa, professor of biological engineering, has taught at the University of Arkansas since 2001. She earned a doctorate in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Influence
Bajwa grew up in India, where education was a cultural priority. In some way, she always expected to become a doctor or an engineer, which began with her love for math and science. Among the most influential people in her career was a middle school math teacher. “I don’t know how he did it, but he made it look simple,” she said. The teacher helped her make the connection between mere interest and a career, showing her that she demonstrated talent for it, and pushing her to do her best.

Both of Bajwa’s sisters are in math and science, and they both influenced and inspired her. “One of my sisters says that math may be the king of science, but without physics, math would have no application,” she said. “That really stuck with me.”

University of Arkansas experience
Bajwa chose the University of Arkansas because she wanted to raise her family in a smaller town. “My husband was working in Chicago when I started here, but I didn’t want to raise a family in Chicago,” she said. They also came here because they saw an opportunity for growth, with several new faculty members and a strong vision.

Upon her arrival to the University of Arkansas, Bajwa sensed a need for research in biocomposite materials, and made it a focus of hers. “I use waste stream from agricultural processing operations such as cotton ginning as fillers in thermoplastic composites. These composites typically contain 50 percent or more plant fibers,” she said.

The resulting composite materials can be used as replacement for wood in non-structural building applications where the materials will be exposed to extreme conditions, such as decking, landscaping products, window and door components, and flooring. This takes the waste out of the environment and embeds it into a completely recyclable product.

She also conducts research on mitigation of air pollutants emitted from chicken houses. “The research in this area has big consequences because the state has a big poultry industry,” she said.

Bajwa says she is happy in her current line of work. “The thing I’m especially proud of here is how many undergraduates are involved in the lab,” she said. “I have 5-10 working in my lab, and some have published their work. These students are very focused, and know what they want to do with their education.”

Off the Clock
Bajwa spends her non-working hours with her family, who like to bike and walk the trails together, and spend time at the local library. “The time outside of the office, my time with my family is number one.”