Prof. Kehelpannala is a structural geologist with over three decades of contributions to the advancement of geological sciences in Sri Lanka, Africa, and the broader Gondwana research community. A Magna Cum Laude Ph.D. graduate from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany and a former Visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Peradeniya (1994–2011), he later served at the University of Botswana, Botswana from 2011 to 2024, and as a Part-time Associate Professor at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (2021–2023).

His landmark scientific achievements include the discovery of a Neoproterozoic plate boundary in Sri Lanka, early prediction of Indian Ocean tsunami hazards, proposing a mantle origin for Sri Lankan vein graphite, and identifying post-metamorphic K-metasomatism in both Sri Lanka and Botswana. Prof. Kehelpannala’s academic and research excellence has been recognized through several prestigious honors, including the Ananda Coomaraswamy Memorial Medal (2015)—the highest lifetime recognition awarded by the Geological Society of Sri Lanka—and two Sri Lanka Presidential Research Awards for his scientific contributions. He has co-authored a book on “Atlas of deformed and metamorphosed rocks from Proterozoic Orogens” published by Elsevier.

Prof. Kehelpannala holds long-standing memberships in leading professional bodies worldwide, including the International Association for Gondwana Research (IAGR), where he has been serving on the Steering Committee since 1997, the Institute of Geology Sri Lanka, the Botswana Academy of Science, and multiple geoscience associations across Asia and Africa. He has also contributed significantly to national scientific leadership in Sri Lanka, serving as President of the Geological Society of Sri Lanka (2004–2005), Chairman of the Tsunami Disaster Committee, and a member of national committees on mineral policy and disaster management.

Samadhith Uthpala is a leading expert in Sri Lanka’s graphite sector, with over years of end-to-end experience across upstream exploration, downstream processing, and high-value graphite product development. He has worked from land acquisition and geophysical surveying to advanced value-addition projects, including founding a venture to produce B2C end-grade value-added graphite products in Sri Lanka. Samadhith serves on the Board of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Ltd., guiding strategic development of one of the country’s key graphite assets. He also advises major investors on strengthening the national graphite value chain. He is currently Lead Data Consultant at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the global authority on EV and battery-materials supply chains.