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My PhD work was focused on Associative nitrogen fixing bacteria and their potential to support the growth of bioenergy grasses on marginal lands. I obtained my PhD in Soil Microbiology in 2014 under the supervision of Professor Janet R. Donaldson (https:\/\/www.biology.msstate.edu\/events\/graduate\/archive\/index.php?year=2014) at Mississippi State University and Professor Mark Williams (https:\/\/spes.vt.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/williams-mark\/microeco\/about.htmlat) at Virginia Tech, USA. While reading for my PhD, I served as a graduate teaching assistant as well as a graduate research assistant. Thereafter, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Mississippi state University until 2015. I joined Faculty of Technology, University of Colombo\u00a0 after completing my graduate studies at the Mississippi State University in 2017 as a Senior Lecturer.<\/p>\n
While soil microbiology is my main teaching areas, I enjoyed teaching Biology, Biosystems Technology, Crop Nutrient Management, Agricultural Waste Management and Bioenergy Technology for first and final year undergraduates. Further, I served as a visiting lecturer at SLTC and Institute of Chemistry Ceylon. I am a certified teacher of higher education at Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA), United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
My research is focused on understanding how microbial communities assemble and function in ecosystems, soil, the root-zone, and other numerous habitats found in nature. My studies reflect on the mutualistic nature of plant-microbial feedbacks that are a major driver of ecosystems and the global biosphere.<\/p>\n
In addition to my teaching and research, I involved in several administrative roles, both inside and outside of the Faculty. I serve as a Young Ambassador to Sri Lanka for American Society for Microbiology and Charted member in Institute of Chemistry and Institute of Biology.<\/p>\n
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Bachelor degree in Botany (Honours)<\/p>\n\t\t\t
Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya <\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t
Grad. Chem<\/p>\n\t\t\t
Institute of Chemistry Ceylon<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t