Varuni Jayasooriya has bagged Distinguished Researcher Award of the Year Award

Varuni Jayasooriya has bagged Distinguished Researcher Award of the Year Award

• July 28, 2021

My name is Varuni Jayasooriya and I hail from Matara, a city located on the southern coast of the beautiful tropical island, Sri Lanka. Since childhood, I was mesmerised by nature and dreamt of being someone who works for the betterment of the environment. After the completion of my school education from the St. Mary’s Convent and Sujatha Vidyalaya, I was selected for the Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, which is the most reputed and highest ranked school for the engineering studies in Sri Lanka.

 The study area I selected to follow was Earth Sciences and Engineering, which aligned perfectly with my childhood dream of becoming a natural resources conservationist. However, it was not until my final year I realised the exact career path I would choose to reach my goals. In my final year of engineering studies, I got the opportunity to conduct my research focusing on applications of nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment. Once I completed my research, it was sheer clear for me that I wanted to be a researcher and ultimately a scientist in the field of Environmental Studies so that, someday, I would be able to contribute in all my capacity to conserve the environment we live in and to provide solutions for the problems that affect the nature and sustainability at a broader scale.   

After completion of my undergraduate studies, I served one year as an Environmental Scientist at the Natural Building Research Organization, Sri Lanka. I worked as the lead research scientist for air pollution mapping due to the motor vehicle transportation in Sri Lanka, which was funded by the Department of Motor Traffic. Apart from that, I was also involved in several projects which were focused on industrial sustainability and water and air quality research. My career took a drastic turn when I was offered the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) from the Government of Australia, to continue my higher studies in the field of Environmental Engineering. In 2013, I moved to Melbourne and started my Ph.D. in Victoria University where I marked the beginning of my academic journey.

I completed my thesis in the area of optimising Green Infrastructure practices for the industrial areas in 2016. After the completion of my thesis, I joined as an associate researcher at Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics, Deakin University, Australia. I have been involved in research related to sustainable and green supply chain management and industrial life cycle assessments. In late 2017, I returned to Sri Lanka and joined as a Senior Lecturer, with the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. 

Currently, apart from my teaching commitments at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, I conduct research in the areas of urban climates, urban forestry, urban greening and green infrastructure. Some of my current ongoing research involves the assessment of the contribution of urban forests for the regulation of microclimates, sustainable pavement designing for the urban heat island mitigation and application of vertical greenery systems for the building energy conservation. My research outcomes have been published in highly reputed national and international and peer reviewed journals and I have presented my work in several international research conferences. My research work in this field has gained visibility and recognition among researchers worldwide by reaching 300+ citations within a short duration of my academic career. My future goal is to work on more applied research related to green construction in order to mitigate the environmental damage done by the construction industry.

When I consider my journey as a researcher so far, in hindsight, I can be proud of myself that I have been able to serve towards the sustainability of my country. However, I still believe that I have a long way to go and this is just the beginning. I’m quite delighted to be recognised as the “Distinguished Researcher of the Year” by Women Icon Awards powered by Times Women as it will surely be an inspiration for the future endeavours in my research career.