Dr (Sr) Ananda Amritmahal

M.A., B.Ed., M. Phil., Ph. D., L.T.C.L. (Speech and Drama)

Dr (Sr) Ananda Amritmahal was Principal of Sophia College for Women (Autonomous). She is also Honorary Director of the Irene Heredia Sophia Centre for Women’s Studies and Development.

Her areas of specialisation include Women’s Writing and Feminist Literary Criticism, and Indian Writing in English. Her doctoral thesis was on “Feminist Critical Perspectives on Indian Women’s Writing, with special reference to Shashi Deshpande and Mahasweta Devi”. Her other research interests are Women Mystic Poets, Children’s Literature, and Feminist Theology.

Dr Amritmahal has written a book, Relatedness and Resistance: A Feminist Critical Analysis of Some Indian Women Writers, as well as a number of articles on women’s issues.

She was awarded the Smt. Savitridevi Phule Adarsh Shikshika Puraskar (prize for exemplary teachers) by the University of Mumbai, for her contribution to the field of women’s education and empowerment.

Dr Amritmahal was awarded the Fulbright Teaching Fellowship as Visiting Lecturer at Loyola University, Chicago, for the spring semester of 2012. She was also appointed the Gannon Visiting Research Scholar at Loyola during the same period.

Dr Sumanika Sethi

MA MPhil  PhD

Areas of expertise and research interests & Doctoral area of research

Her specialization is in the field of Aesthetics which deals with literature as an art form and interprets it in the wider context of other art forms, thus making the study inter-disciplinary. She has worked on the modern classic poem Andhere Mein. Further she has researched Yakshi icons excavated from Snghol, Punjab and compared these sculptures with literary traditions. She has also conducted research on Kanheri Caves (Mumbai) as a Minor Research Project by UGC. Her articles have been published in leading literary magazines.

Dr Paul Rozario

MA Mphil PhD 

Dr. Paul Rozario did his Masters in Political Science and his MPhil in American Studies from the School of Social Sciences and School of International Studies - the Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi. He was awarded a PhD degree from the Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai. He was a recipient of the Ford Foundation Fellowship in International Relations, at the University of Mumbai. He has also passed the UGC JRF / Lectureship National Entrance Test in 1993. In April 2006, he was the sole Indian representative in the International Visitor Leadership Programme, interactively touring the U.S. on the invitation of the U. S. Department of State. His areas of interest are International Relations, Foreign Policy, American Studies, International Organizations, International Trade and Economic Relations, Religion And Ethics.

Dr Andrea Coutinho
MSc (Biochemistry), MA (Psychology), MEd, PGDEM, PhD (Education)

Areas of Expertise: Educational Evaluation, Instructional Design, Curriculum Design, ICT in Education, Guidance and Counseling

Research Interests: Educational Psychology, Educational Evaluation, Instructional Design, ICT in Education, Institutional Evaluation

Doctoral Area of Research: Effectiveness of the Integrated Approach to Teaching in Upper Primary Schools (2008, Prof. Vasudha Kamat)

 Association with Academic Bodies:

1. Chairperson, Board of Studies, Sophia College (Autonomous), Mumbai.
2. Chairperson, TYBA Examinations, University of Mumbai.
3. Chairperson, Education Syllabus Committee, University of Mumbai.
4. Member, Board of Studies, K. J. Somaiya College of Education (KJSCED), Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai
5. Member, Syllabus Core Committee 2020-2021 (4-year integrated B.A.-B.Ed.), University of Mumbai.
6. Member, The Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata.

 Research Projects:

1. A Comparative Study of Learner Achievement in HSC Arts Students and First Year BA Students in Sophia College (Autonomous), Mumbai, An Action Research Project.
2. Primary Schools in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Goa.
3. Emotional Intelligence, Locus of Control, Self-Esteem and Brain Dominance in Senior College Students, in Maharashtra and Goa.

Ms Pervine Bhujwala 

MA Bed

Dr Ignat Mendes

MSc, PhD (Head of the Department)

Associate Professor and recognized post-graduate teacher (physical chemistry) of Mumbai University.

Areas of interest: Neutron Activation analysis of trace metals involving radiochemical separation by solvent extraction, determination of trace metals ions in environmental samples spectrophotometrically and using ion selective electrodes, analysis of food, pharma and personal care products.

Ms Rochelle Ferns

MSc, MPhil

Assistant Professor in inorganic chemistry, joined the department in 2006.

Dr.HemlataRamchandran

MSc, PhD (Head of the Department)
Member Board of Studies: Life Sciences Ph.D. (1988), Mumbai University, Ex-member of the Local Management Committee, Ex-College Representative of Teachers Union and Elected as Executive Committee member of BUCTU for two consecutive terms.
Member Governing body of Sophia College.

Interested in……

• Biodiversity and conservation- global and local
• Education through films and film making- for critical evaluation of the real and unreal world around us
• Activism for sustained quality education – Involved in peace and justice for teachers and the taught.
• Research: Cognition and its modulation under changing environment is of basic as well as clinical interest. Development and standardization of simple protocols for monitoring electrophysiological parameters for cognitive abilities is being carried out. Currently interested in developing cognitive tasks using open software. Developing Neuromarketing related tasks to understand human brain and factors associated with marketing and human emotions.
• Introducing Cognitive Neuroscience at PG level. To understand the underlying mechanisms of attention. Developing attention skills through aerobic exercise, music listening, Playing videogames and multi tasking.Encouraging undergraduate students to undertake research, photography and extra academic activities during their graduating year's.

Dr. Hema Subramaniam

Ph.D. (1990), Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai University
Staff In Charge of Suman Tulsiani Center, and Laboratory Instrumentation, Staff in Charge of College Science Club, Co-ordinator of DBT-Star College Activities of Department of Life Sciences, Chairperson for Final Year BSc University examination.

Believes in…

• Enabling and facilitating knowledge and skill transfer to students by deconstructing and simplifying complex biological concepts
• Encouraging the use of information technology, through computers and bioinformatics in biology
• Enhancing student participation in science and environment-related activities
• Emphasis and promotion of systematic work culture and work ethics
• Employing research-oriented methods to foster constructive critical-thinking and reasoning in students

Interested in……

• Study of age-related neurodegenerative diseases by employing biological and behavioural studies using Drosophila to understand the molecular players in diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
• Study of Oxidative stress generation and effects
• Vector biology and behaviour leading to possible identification of molecular targets for control of vector-borne diseases

Dr. Yasmin Khan (Vice Principal – Science, Sr. College)

MSc, Ph.D. (1988) Foundation for Medical Research, Mumbai University 
Post Doctoral Fellow – National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Recipient of the Fulbright Nehru Senior Research Scholarship.Received two major grants from DBT forstudy of early developmental processes using embryonic zebrafish as a model system
Overall Coordinator of DBT Star College Scheme, Member of the RRC in Applied Biology, Chairperson PET examination Committee and Elected member of College Development Committee

Interested in……

• Establishing links – Conduct interactive sessions of Junior and Senior College students with scientist to attract the best in basic sciences.
• Encouraging and guiding UG students to carry out summer projects
• The Khandala Seminar – Organizing a weekend out door for interactive sessions on science and nature with invited experts.
• Research: Neurodevelopment, the formation of the nervous system with all its complexities, is not yet clearly understood. Using an elegant and simple model, embryonic zebrafish, the development of different parts of the nervous system is being investigated at the cellular and molecular level. Currently, the group is studying the development of a sensory system called lateral line and the craniofacium.