Dr. Manoj Kumar joined IISER Thiruvananthapuram as an Assistant Professor in September 2024. His expertise lies in Environmental Sciences, with a particular focus on hydrogeochemistry. Dr. Kumar obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in 2017. Prior to joining IISER Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Kumar served as an Assistant Professor at the Central University of Haryana (2016-2023) and as a Lecturer at IISER Mohali (2023-2024). His academic contributions include the co-editing of one book, the publication of 22 peer-reviewed journal articles, and five book chapters. With an h-index of 14 and over 1,100 citations, his work has made a notable impact in the field. Dr. Kumar's research primarily addresses groundwater contamination, with a special emphasis on geogenic contaminants such as arsenic and fluoride, affecting drinking water supplies in various regions worldwide. He has successfully supervised and co-supervised over 80 M.Sc. dissertations. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Kumar was awarded the prestigious Crawford Fund Fellowship in 2013.