Ms. Kotha Hridhay Keerthana

Overview

Ms. Kotha Hridhay Keerthana specialises in food science and postharvest technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Home Science (2016) and a master’s degree in Food and Nutritional Sciences (2018) from SSSIHL.

She is pursuing her Ph.D. at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore, evaluating tropolone and its derivatives for the postharvest management of selected fruits and vegetables. During her doctoral studies, she was a Visiting Researcher at the Faculty of Horticulture, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Japan (2022–2023). She joined SSSIHL in 2026.

Areas of Teaching

Food Science, Fundamentals of Nutrition, Food Processing and Preservation, Food Microbiology

Research Interests

Postharvest management of fresh fruits and vegetables
Active and modified-atmosphere packaging
Natural bioactive compounds for quality preservation and shelf-life extension
Sustainable postharvest technologies to reduce fresh-produce losses

Awards & Recognitions

Awarded Srimathi Bhagyalakshmi Gold Medal for Distinction in B. Sc. (Home Science) in 2016.
Awarded Sri Sathya Sai Allrounder Gold Medal for meritorious overall performance in all aspects of the Sri Sathya Sai system of Values-based Integral Education in 2017.
Awarded Sri R V Janakiramaih Gold Medal for distinction in M. Sc. (Food and Nutritional Sciences) in 2018.
Awarded DST INSPIRE Fellowship (2018) by Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi.

Sri Sathya Sai Values-based Integral Education

Fine Arts Self-Reliance activities, Club activities