<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 20.700001px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Statement of Purpose</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Application for the Position of Assistant Professor &ndash; NICMAR Pune Campus</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have submitted my PhD thesis, at Department of Civil Engineering (Infrastructure Management Division), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G). My PhD work is on sustainable construction materials i.e., evaluation of durability properties of geopolymer concrete. I am writing this to express my strong interest in joining National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR, Pune Campus).&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Doctoral research focuses on evaluating the influence of mix parameters and chloride-sulfate environment on microstructural and durability properties of geopolymer concrete. Further, I have investigated the electrochemical behavior of steel reinforcement in pore solution obtained from geopolymer concrete; additionally, microstructural properties of corrosion product samples were also studied. During my PhD, I have also co-supervised 2 PG and 1 UG students, contributing to their research planning, experimental execution, and data interpretation. I have published 9 journal articles discussing about the microstructure and durability properties of geopolymer mortar/concrete under chloride and sulfate environment (8 in Q1 journals and 1 in Q2 journal). Further, I have also attended and presented my research findings in 4 international conferences. I have also carried out teaching assistant duties for postgraduate courses i.e., advanced concrete technology and quality, safety, and management</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">My research area aligns closely with one of the major focus of NICMAR i.e., Construction Materials and Technology Management. I am particularly interested in integrating material durability, life-cycle assessment, and environmental impact assessment with infrastructure management practices. My future research vision includes the development of low-carbon binder systems, and utilization of construction and demolition waste for sustainable infrastructure applications. In addition to research and academic works, I have been involved in various consultancy projects, which involved preliminary testing of cement, and fine and coarse aggregates for various construction projects.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am motivated to share the knowledge gained from academics and research activities with my colleagues and friends. This habit has driven me to shift towards academics, which gives me a huge opportunity to educate the coming generation Civil Engineers and train them by bridging the gap between academics, research, and practical applications. Furthermore, I believe that bridging technical material science knowledge with construction management strategies can help to produce professionals capable of making informed, sustainable decisions in infrastructure projects.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am enthusiastic about contributing to NICMAR&rsquo;s academic community through teaching, research, curriculum development, and industry collaboration. I am confident that my background in sustainable construction materials and evaluation of its durability properties, and infrastructure-oriented research will enable me to add meaningful value to the institute.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to NICMAR&rsquo;s continued growth and excellence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sincerely,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maradani Leela Sai Rangarao</span></p>