Interview with Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar, Prof. Dr. Rupali Datta, Dr. Prafulla Kumar Sahoo and Dr. Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman—Winners of the 2023 MDPI Topics Award
We would like to extend our congratulations to Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar, Prof. Dr. Rupali Datta, Dr. Prafulla Kumar Sahoo and Dr. Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman who won the 2023 MDPI Topics Award for their Topic “Sustainable Environmental Technologies”.
Name: Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar
Affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Research interests: environmental geochemistry; green technology development; environmental quality; environmental remediation; risk assessment
Name: Prof. Dr. Rupali Datta
Affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
Research interests: plant biochemistry; molecular biology; microbiology; plant genetics; plant detoxification; environmental remediation; plant–microbe interactions
Name: Dr. Prafulla Kumar Sahoo
Affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda-151401, India
Research interests: regional-scale geochemical mapping; the fate and mobility of potentially toxic elements in soil–rhizosphere–plant systems; hydrogeochemistry; groundwater contamination and health risk assessment; environmental remediation
Name: Dr. Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman
Affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle (UON), University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
Research interests: food security; bioavailability; exposure and risk assessment; environmental remediation; trace element biogeochemistry
The following is a short interview with the winners:
1. Could you please briefly introduce your winning Topic to our readers? What inspired you to lead this Topic?
The current rise in the global population, along with increased waste generation, higher greenhouse gas emissions, the depletion of natural resources, the introduction of toxic contaminants, and the escalating impacts of climate change, constitutes the major environmental challenge we face today. In response to these concerns, the development of sustainable environmental technologies has emerged as an indisputable priority since the beginning of the twenty-first century. These technologies, especially in the fields of pollution mitigation and cleanup, waste-to-energy conversion, resource recovery, and renewable/clean energy, etc., play a crucial role in advancing sustainable development by addressing numerous environmental challenges. By adopting these technologies, we can conserve natural resources, prevent contamination, minimize carbon emissions, and safeguard our planet for future generations. In a broader sense, this field is a growing research area and is desperately needed to enhance our ecosystems and improve people's lives. This was the motivation behind proposing this Topic to explore the latest multi-disciplinary research, fascinating innovations, and scientific breakthroughs in various facets of sustainable environmental technologies, which are necessary to address diverse environmental challenges.
2. What has been your impression of the publishing experience with MDPI Topics? Do you have any suggestions for improving its development?
We had a wonderful experience publishing with MDPI Topics due to their excellent editorial services, which featured a well-structured review and publication process with a clear and timely schedule along with excellent support from the editorial team throughout. In addition to the blind review process, we appreciated the user-friendly submission system, which facilitated the effortless tracking of the progress of our Topic throughout the various stages. In order to boost the growth of MDPI Topics, we suggest improving the promotion of the Topic flyer across various relevant research websites and social media platforms. Also, an AI-based system could be developed to compile a mailing list of potential contributors worldwide for specific Topics. For greater visibility, higher discounts and more complementary articles should be made available to emerging researchers (including Ph.D. students), particularly those from less economically developed nations.
3. What advice would you offer to young investigators who aspire to achieve similar recognition in their research careers?
Always concentrate on investigating the most recent developments and state-of-the-art research in your field with dedication, since this can spur innovation and lead to important discoveries in your research endeavors.
4. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
The application of AL and ML techniques to environmental and sustainability research topics such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, clean energy, sustainable waste management, smart prediction and control of emerging pollutants, real-time natural resource management, etc., will be of great interest to the research community in the coming years. By collaborating, researchers can develop innovative solutions for pressing environmental challenges and enhance the knowledge needed to comprehend the scope of their application in combating environmental problems while tapping into the potential of AI and ML for fostering a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
5. What are your thoughts on the evolution of open access publishing in academia? How do you see it impacting the dissemination of future research?
Open access publication, a major development in academia around the world, has turned the long-standing idea of “knowledge as a public good” into reality. With the onset of the Digital Age and the proliferation of the internet, it has gained new significance that is highly advantageous to scholars globally, particularly those who lack access to libraries. Currently, about half of academic publications are available in some form of open access. This shift has the potential to completely alter the way academic research is shared. However, there are certain drawbacks to a journal being exclusively open access, which includes substantial APCs. This takes away the opportunity for a lot of young researchers to publish their findings since they have no means of generating additional funding for publication. A hybrid model with open access and subscription-based articles can bridge this gap and encourage research publications from a diversity of researchers all over the world.