Ajith spent his childhood with his grandmother in Hikkaduwa, a small beach town in Sri Lanka 100 kilometers south of the capital City of Colombo. Ajith remembers his grandmother brushing her teeth in the yard and while walking around, if she saw sunlight landing on the ground, she would say, "We are wasting solar energy," and plant a tree there. Her philosophy was that "sunlight should not land on the ground." While planting trees on her property, Ajith credits his grandmother for planting a seed in his heart for solar.
His mother was a fashion designer, and his father was a university administrator. Education has always been a priority for their family, so Ajith traveled to England for higher learning where he attended Leicester University for his undergrad in mechanical engineering, Brunel University in Uxbridge where he received his master's for solar power and Sheffield Hallam University where he received his PhD for solar energy.
In 2011, while he was attending a solar conference in Dallas, Texas, he told his sister who was living in Dallas at the time, that if she moved to California, he would too. In 2012, Ajith applied for a position that was available at California State University, Fresno (CSUF). After receiving the job offer, Ajith moved his family from England to Fresno in the fall of 2013 and is still teaching today as a professor at CSUF in mechanical engineering.
Ajith's commitment to solar energy and his desire to make a difference in the world led him to GRID Alternatives. Even before joining the board of Directors, he was actively involved with the organization. He and his students participated in several community installation events called Solarthons, which is a fundraiser and solar block party that brings together people from all walks of life, individual fundraisers, corporate sponsors, job trainees and the homeowners themselves to install multiple solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in one community. His passion for teaching and preparing young minds to care for the environment is evident in his work. He is a staunch advocate for solar energy and electric vehicles, and he eagerly looks forward to leveraging his academic and photovoltaic expertise to contribute to local communities.
Although much of his time is centered around teaching and solar energy, Ajith reserves special time to spend with his family. He and his wife, Farhana, have a ten-year-old daughter at home and their 23-year-old son just left the nest. Weekend activities include hiking in the nearby hills or playing badminton, a sport he loves. This summer, Ajith is taking 21 students to Sri Lanka for a study abroad program. While there, he plans to slow down the pace and visit his mother and sister.
After becoming the Interim President of our Board, Ajith shared with us a bit of what he has learned. Not every board member has to be as excited as he is about solar energy. The most important quality is their commitment to GRID's mission by attending meetings, proactively promoting GRID in their professional circles, and actively recruiting new members.