Prof. Mahaveer Kurkuri obtained his B.Sc degree from MM Arts and Science College, Sirsi, India, in 1996; he then moved to the University of Mysore, India, to obtain his M.Sc degree in Polymer Science in 1998. His interests in nature and basic science inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Karnatak University, India, and he graduated in 2003. Though he could secure a job soon after his Ph.D. in CIPET (under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India, India), his interest in science made him pursue postdoctoral experience in international laboratories, so he moved to KAIST, South Korea, in 2004. In early 2006, he relocated to Australia and worked at Flinders University, Australia, the University of South Australia, Australia, and The University of Adelaide, Australia, in various capacities as a member of research staff until 2014. He joined JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), India, in 2014 as an Associate Professor and is currently heading the Centre for Research in Functional Materials, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), India, as an Associate Director. His research interests are mainly derived from nature; he and his group are working on solving some current scientific problems by mimicking nature's intricate designs and strategies. His group is working on high-surface-area functional materials by creating specific surface chemistry for various applications, including water testing, remediation, energy storage, and harvesting.