Hiral P. Adhyaru is an experienced professional with a strong academic background and a diverse career in education and environmental management. She has earned the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship under the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which enabled her to study Education Administration, Planning, and Policy at Vanderbilt University, USA, in 2012-13. During this fellowship, she focused on key academic courses including Curriculum Development, Mathematics Education, and Science Inquiry. She also worked with Discovery Education Assessment, a division of the Discovery Channel, in 2013. In addition to her international academic experience, Hiral has participated in the Management Education Program (MEP) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, where she enhanced her managerial skills. The program covered various management subjects, including Organization Behavior, Operations, Finance, HR, Business Strategy, and Accounting, helping her gain a holistic understanding of business and management practices. Her academic qualifications include a Master’s in Environmental Science (1996) and a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry (1993) from Gujarat University, where she also completed a research project on the impact of sodium fluoride on the metabolism of nucleic acids and proteins in rats. Hiral’s educational journey has been marked by notable achievements, such as ranking 9th in the Science ‘Prakharta Shodh’ Exam in Gujarat State and 3rd in Ahmedabad city during her secondary school years. Professionally, Hiral has held several key positions in various organizations. Since November 2016, she has been serving as the Head of the Higher Education Program at the Dr. K R Shroff Foundation, where she leads the development of e-learning platforms to support government-granted schools in improving 10th board exam results and facilitating the transition of students into higher education programs. From June to October 2016, she worked as the Head of Curriculum at the Anand Niketan Group of Schools, where she was responsible for developing a team of curriculum experts to create a curriculum that met the needs of the students. She also provided support and training to teachers to ensure effective implementation in classrooms. Hiral’s longest tenure was at the GyanShala project of Education Support Organization in Ahmedabad, where she worked for over 15 years, from September 1999 to May 2016. As the State Project Coordinator, she coordinated and guided the organization’s various education programs in Gujarat, Bihar, Kolkata, and Uttar Pradesh. These programs aimed to provide universal access to quality education, particularly for children from marginalized communities. Hiral was responsible for developing teams, implementing new educational projects, and ensuring the alignment of the programs with national and international education standards. She was also instrumental in designing learning materials for Mathematics, Science, and Language subjects, along with training teachers and supervising educational activities. As part of her leadership role, she successfully managed a large team of over 1,200 teachers, 150 senior teachers, and 80 curriculum development members who served more than 35,000 children across 1,787 centers. Hiral’s achievements included developing a Mathematics and Language Learning Module specifically tailored for children in slums and rural areas, training teachers, and contributing to the overall success of the program at the grassroots level. Earlier in her career, Hiral also worked as a Project Associate at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabad, where she was involved in projects focusing on environmental education and waste management. She contributed to the publication of a book on biodiversity and co-guided research projects related to composting. Hiral is an active member of various environmental organizations and has worked on projects aimed at raising awareness about pollution and environmental protection. Her dedication to both education and environmental sustainability has made her a valuable asset to the organizations she has worked with. Her extensive experience in curriculum development, teacher training, and education program management, combined with her academic background and commitment to sustainability, positions her as a prominent figure in the fields of education and environmental conservation.
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