Dr. Pratibha Jolly is Principal, Miranda House, premiere college for women, at University of Delhi, a post she has held since 2005. Under her dynamic leadership, Miranda House was recently given All India Rank One under National Institutional Ranking Framework 2017. National Council of Assessment and Accreditation (NAAC) has given the college Grade A+ with CGPA 3.61. Department of Biotechnology has given Star College status.

Dr. Jolly has served on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet since 2011. A rare honour, she was Chairperson of the International Commission on Physics Education (ICPE), Commission 14 of the apex International Union for Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) for six years from October 2005 to 2011, having served as member first from 2002 to 2005. She was also Vice President of IUPAP from 2005-2008. The high point of her tenure was launch of Physware series of active learning Educate the Educator workshops to strengthen teaching of physics, especially in the developing world. She is country representative for AsPEN (Asian Physics Education Network) and GIREP (International Research Group on Physics Teaching). She was bestowed the GIREP 50th Anniversary Medal in 2016. She is recipient of AUSAID grants as Australian Leadership Award Fellow (ALAF) 2013; Fulbright New Century Scholar Award 2009-2010; American Physical Society Kilambi Ramavataram Fellowship 1994-95; Tata-Fulbright Travel Grant 1994-95; and Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship 1986-87 that enabled work with leading Physics Education Research groups across the world. Amongst several other awards, she received the 2016 Indian Association of Physics Teachers (Delhi Chapter) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. She is an active member of National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI).

Dr. Jolly has several pioneering research projects to her credit. With wide ranging synergetic contributions for capacity building and publications on research-based physics education, she is invited speaker at major physics education conferences the world over. Her multifaceted work has led to establishment of the D S Kothari Centre for Research and Innovation in Science Education at Miranda House. Science education outreach, faculty and undergraduate research have drawn major grants and international collaborations.

She is passionate about creating technology enhanced active teaching-learning environment, promoting interdisciplinary undergraduate research and helping students build successful careers.