Bio
Naushita Sharma, Ph.D., is an R&D Associate in ORNL’s Energy Science & Technology Division, specializing in the water–energy nexus and industrial wastewater efficiency. Her work spans analytics, process design, and decision-support tools that help utilities and manufacturers cut energy use and enable water reuse. She leads technical assistance and training for DOE wastewater initiatives through SWIFt program, and contributes to the National Alliance for Water Innovation roadmap. Before joining ORNL, she was a Water Resources Engineer at Jacobs Engineering Group with experience in water/wastewater design and consulting.
- Areas of Research: Energy Systems and Industry
- Specific Topic of Interest: Water and Energy Nexus, Big Data Modeling and Analysis, Natural Hazard Resiliency Planning, Alternative Water and Energy Resource Scenario, Statistical Survey Analysis, Life CycleAssessment, Consumer Product Perception Surveys, Water Quality, Techno-Economic Assessment, Process Hydraulic, Systematic Review and Analyses
- Tools: Geographic Information System (GIS), Python, MS Office, MATLAB, OriginPro, ExtendSim, SUMO
- Certifications: Certified Energy Manager (CEM-AEE), F.E. (Environmental-NCEES), MIT – Life Cycle Assessment
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Research Associate (2023 - 2025) | Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Water Resources Engineer (2021 - 2023) | Jacobs Engineering Group
Faculty Associate (2019 - 2023) | Arizona State University
Adjunct Faculty (2022) | City College of New York
Awards
2025 Best Postdoc in Research Award (2nd position) warded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
3rd position in Engineers Without Borders’ Reshaping Engineering 2022 Design Challenge for pitching “Reshaping Engineering Practices: By Developing Engineering Ethics”, 2022.
EPAZ 2021 Student Scholarship awarded by Environmental Professionals of Arizona for extraordinary environmental work to support environmental innovation for Arizona, 2021.
2020 Holly A. Cornell Scholarship awarded by Jacobs & American Water Works Association for pursuing research in water/wastewater treatment, 2020.
2018 AZ Water Scholarship for pursuing further research, awarded by AZ Water Committee.
2017 Bhaswati Paul Memorial Award - Best Project of Environmental Relevance, presented at the 15th Convocation of NIT Rourkela, 2018.
Charles T. Main Student Section Leadership Award for exceptional leadership to the ASME Student Section at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India.
Education
Ph.D. (2021) | Environmental Engineering | School of Sustainable Engineering and The Built Environment, Arizona State University
M.S. (2018) | Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering | School of Sustainable Engineering and The Built Environment, Arizona State University
B.Tech. (2017) | Mechanical Engineering | Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology
Professional Service
Member, International Science Council's Global Roster of Experts
Professional Affiliations
Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Specialized Equipment
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Ion Chromatography