Dr. Renuka Ariyawansha joined SLTC as a Senior Lecturer in January 2022 and has been serving in that role since. She has taught and developed various modules on environmental technology and science for different degree programs, including the B.Tech(Hons) in Environmental Technology program, B.Tech (Hons) in Agricultural Technology, B.Tech(Hons) in Electronic Technology, and B.Sc. (Hons) in Biosystems Engineering Degree Program at SLTC. Since March 2022, she has also been the Lead in the Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS), and as of January 2023, she has become the Head of the Department of Environmental Technology at SLTC.

In 2022, Dr. Ariyawansha chaired SLTC’s 2nd International Research Conference, which resulted in many beneficial outcomes. She is a qualified agricultural and bio-systems engineer with a strong research background, industry experience, and a teaching portfolio. The analytical tool she developed through her Ph.D. research, titled “Development and Validation of Interactive Mathematical Expressions for Biochemical Transformation Kinetics,” is highly effective in all fields of pure and biological sciences.

Her research on biochemical transformation kinetics can be applied for evaluating and modeling biochemical processes such as optimizing plant growth, determining the nutrient requirements for humans and animals, designing and optimizing bioreactors, biochemical processes in industrial bioprocessing, environmental engineering, and serving as a diagnostic tool in the healthcare sector.

Dr. Ariyawansha has gained a wide range of experience as an active researcher over 15 years, as well as through teaching experiences, including undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision. She has also been a resource person in designing and developing integrated solid waste management systems, conducting workshops and seminars, four initial environmental impact assessment studies, an environmental impact assessment study, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, business plans, surveys, and social impact assessment studies.

Dr. Ariyawansha has been involved in designing and developing bioreactors, bio-filtration systems for air pollution control, leachate, and wastewater treatment systems, municipal solid waste dumpsite rehabilitations, solid waste management systems, renewable energy generation systems, biochar production systems, organic fertilizer production systems. She has also actively been involved in and co-supervised several field trials and pot experiments to determine the effect of biochar and developed organic fertilizer (based on compost and biochar) on crop growth and nutrient regulation, as well as a replacement for inorganic fertilizer.