Our Team

Guneet Kaur | Director

Dr. Guneet Kaur is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Biological Engineering at the School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Canada. Before joining University of Guelph, she held faculty positions at York University (Canada) and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU, Hong Kong). Her research focusses on the design of innovative, circular, and carbon-neutral biotechnological solutions to contribute meaningfully to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specifically SDG 7, 9, 11, and 12, for capturing and transforming waste carbon from solid wastes and wastewater streams to bioproducts, precision fermentation, and renewable energy generation for climate change adaptation.

Harshdeep Daroch | Student Facilitator

I'm Harshdeep Daroch, an undergraduate Bachelors of Arts & Sciences student specializing in Geomatics & Sociology at the University of Guelph. As the Facilitator, I work closely with the Director and the Steering Committee of CIRCLE to advance CIRCLE's activities through its core program areas. As well, I support the curation of CIRCLE events, profiles, and encounter posts that highlight the work of scholars and foster meaningful experiences. I am committed to strengthening my cross-cultural understanding and building connections between India, South Asia, their diasporas, and Canada through my role. Not only am I enthusiastic about the opportunity CIRCLE provides to connect and engage with academics from various disciplines, but I am also passionate about its ability to go beyond stereotypes and generate curiosity about India and its vast diaspora in Canada.

Taveena Jindal | Graduate Conference Coordinator 

I am Taveena Jindal, a PhD student in Biological Engineering at the University of Guelph, where my research focuses on the development of nanoparticles for plant protection applications, contributing to sustainable agricultural innovation. As Coordinator of the CIRCLE Graduate South Asia Conference 2025, I oversee the full planning process–from managing the Call for Proposals and organizing submissions to assembling the technical and scientific committees. This role has given me the opportunity to work across disciplines, build leadership and project management skills and engage with scholars working on South Asia-related research from across Canada and the region. I am especially drawn to CIRCLE’s mission of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and challenging simplistic narratives about South Asia. Being part of this work allows me to contribute meaningfully while also expanding my academic and professional horizons.

Graduate Conference Organizing Committee

• Alice Marciniak

• Priyanka Pundir

• Bharat Punjabi

• Sharada Srinivasan

CIRCLE Office

Room 905, Ninth Floor, MacKinnon Building