Grantee

Shirish Maharjan is an architect and urban planner with experience in architectural practice, urban research, and community-based planning. As a Research Officer at the Nepal Institute for Urban and Regional Studies (NIURS), Shirish contributed to projects focused on urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, environmental governance, and planning policy. Shirish’s work also includes research on indigenous building technologies and resilient housing for low-income communities, as well as initiatives related to heritage documentation and public space development.

As a Fulbright Foreign Student Program awardee, Shirish is pursuing a Master of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in Land Use and Environmental Planning. Through the program, Shirish aims to strengthen expertise in evidence-based and interdisciplinary planning and explore approaches that address Nepal’s urban development challenges.

Tika Bahadur Thapa is a Nepalese Civil Engineer in the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Government of Nepal, with over eight years of experience in public infrastructure development and post-disaster reconstruction. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Pulchowk Campus, Tribhuvan University, in 2016. His professional experience spans project development and delivery of public buildings and urban infrastructure, including project planning, engineering design, procurement, contract administration, and quality management. He has overseen government infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with Nepal’s prevailing laws and regulations, the National Building Code, and other engineering standards. Following the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, he served as a Project Manager for the post-earthquake reconstruction program in Palpa, Gulmi, and Arghakhanchi districts, leading the earthquake-resistant reconstruction of private housing, health facilities, and government buildings, as well as the construction of integrated settlements. As a Fulbright grantee, he is pursuing a Master of Science in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University, where he aims to focus on structural engineering to help develop safer, more resilient infrastructure in Nepal.

Dipika Gajurel is a Deputy Registrar at the Supreme Court of Nepal. She holds a BA LL.B. from Purbanchal University, completed in 2019, and a Master’s degree in Criminal Law and Justice, which she completed in 2022. She has been working in civil service for more than seven years, including more than six years as a Public Prosecutor. Dipika’s academic interests lie primarily in criminal justice system. Her professional experience has also encouraged her to look at criminal justice issues from both practical and academic perspectives. She is currently a Fulbright grantee pursuing a one-year LL.M. at the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her studies provide an opportunity to learn about the U.S. legal system, engage with different perspectives on criminal law and justice, and develop a comparative understanding of criminal justice institutions. Through her Fulbright experience, Dipika hopes to broaden her academic and professional perspective, deepen her understanding of criminal justice, and bring new ideas and comparative insights to her continued work in Nepal.