Amit is a Dean’s Doctoral Initiative Scholar in the Social and Ecological Sustainability PhD program at the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS), University of Waterloo. Now in his third year, he serves as the PhD student liaison at SERS and previously represented his cohort on the Environmental Graduate Students Association (EGSA). His research examines how community-based conservation governance can align with ecological carrying capacity to support sustainable livelihoods for Indigenous peoples and local communities living in biodiversity hotspots.
Amit brings extensive cross-sector experience to his doctoral work. He has served as a professor in Ontario’s Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, as Chief Sustainability Officer at a leading university in Delhi and has worked in technology commercialization in the medical biotechnology sector.
His professional engagements across Canada, India, the Dominican Republic, and the UAE have focused on participatory research and applied sustainability, positioning him to bridge academic inquiry with real-world impact.
Alongside his PhD, he is also pursuing an entrepreneurial fellowship and a part-time master’s in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business to advance social innovation-driven sustainability initiatives.
A resident of United College graduate housing since 2023, Amit is an active community member alongside his high school–aged daughter and is committed to representing the interests and wellbeing of fellow graduate residents on the United College Board.