Yes, we can begin.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Myself, Doctor Manohar Kampali. Especially. List in computational hydrodynamics. With a PhD from RWTH. Prior to completing my doctoral. Work I completed. My Masters. In applied mechanics. From the Department of. Applied Mechanics IIT.

Alright, so you earned your PhD at RWTH and a master's from IIT in applied mechanics. Anything you'd like to add about your teaching or research experience before we move forward?

Where I have developed. Foundational Knowledge. Select the. At IIT Madras. I love thinking. Basic lab courses. To the undergraduate. Students and at the PHT level. I was guiding undergraduate students.

For their projects.

Dr.

Okay, so you guided undergraduate students through their projects. What was one project topic that you found especially engaging to supervise?

OK, so. In the lab courses. I really. Understood. The concept in temperature measurement. How the thermocouples work?

OK, so. In the lab courses. I really. Understood. The concept in temperature measurement. How the thermocouples work? And I really enjoyed. Teaching to the students.

So, you brought up temperature measurement and thermocouples as an area you enjoyed teaching in lab courses. Looking at your CV, I see your dissertation was on Euler-Lagrangian Modeling of Aerosol Transport and Nuclear Decay Heat. Can you share an example of how you simplified that research for undergraduate students who might only have a basic background in fluid mechanics?

Alright, so you really enjoyed helping students understand how thermocouples work and temperature measurement in lab courses.

And what exactly? If the intricacies. In getting the accurate. It's the practical experience. And the temperature of the measuring devices. The PRI I show them the thermocouple. How this works? And also. I show them on the blackboard the principle behind.

Alright, you focus on the practical side—actually showing the thermocouple in action and explaining the principle on the board. When students struggled with accuracy or calibration, how did you address their misunderstandings in the classroom?

I give them a small project.

I give them a small project. Which can. It is all in one or two days. And they can take any practical examples.

For example. They can take a small incubator. They can take a small box where they can measure their room temperature.

Thank you for sharing that. Now, given your background in computational hydrodynamics and aerosol transport, where do you see the most promising, fundable research directions in your field over the next three years, and which grants or funding sources would you target to support them?

So you give them a short project to get hands-on with accuracy and calibration issues—makes sense. Now, given your background in computational hydrodynamics and aerosol transport, where do you see the most promising, fundable research directions in your field over the next few years, and what kinds of external grants would you target?

So, you let them use small, hands-on setups like incubators or boxes for measuring room temperature—practical and accessible. Given your background in computational hydrodynamics and aerosol transport, where do you see the most promising, fundable research directions in your field over the next three years, and what kinds of grants or agencies would you target?

And the other. I think. Fluid mechanics and heat transfer are fundamental to any industry. So I'm hoping for industry funded projects. In my area of aerozole transport. Especially. Either from airlines.

Are medical devices. This is 1 area. Apart from nuclear industry since nuclear industry is only government funded in India.

Alright, Dr. Kampali,

Alright, shifting to institutional responsibilities—accreditation cycles can be pretty demanding. If you joined our department and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses, how would you approach fixing that?

I think. The assessment data. First I will analyze. And I will talk to the students. Who are outperforming? Up to the mark. And I will understand what is They're missing but. Whether it is a subject level? It is there. Efforts. And then I will guide you.

I think. The assessment data. First I will analyze. And I will talk to the students. Who are outperforming? Up to the mark.

Alright, Dr. Kampali, I'd like you to imagine this scenario: a student formally alleges that your grading is biased, while at the same time your department head urges you to increase pass rates for that course.

You mentioned earlier that industry funding in areas like fluid mechanics and aerosol transport is promising, especially through airlines or medical device companies. Do you currently have connections with industry partners, and how would you leverage those relationships to help your students access internships or placements?

So I think the question is 2 parts. Let me answer the first one here. So regarding the academic integrity. I will discuss with the head of the department. As well as. And I will balance. So passing mark is not the criteria. Any student can pass with basic understanding. Scoring high marks. Is the actual key point. In securing jobs. As well as in So I focus here. That So I focus here. That. Yes. I think I can do it.

So I think the question is 2 parts. Let me answer the first one here. So regarding the academic integrity. I will discuss with the head of the department. As well as. And I will balance. So passing mark is not the criteria. Any student can pass with basic understanding.

Alright. Now I want to get a sense of your direct experience with mechatronics, smart manufacturing, smart vehicle technologies, or semiconductor manufacturing. Can you describe a project or research effort where you had to integrate multiple domains—like electronics, mechanics, and software—to solve a real-world problem?

Just saying you can do it doesn't give me much to go on—I'd like a concrete example. Can you walk me through a specific project where you actually integrated electronics, mechanical systems, and software to solve a problem, not just theoretically but in practice?

So for example. A car designing. In inside the car designing. Airline. Design, uh. About comfort levels. Of the temperature. And also air quality.

Okay, so you were involved in design aspects for cars and airlines—looking at comfort, temperature control, and air quality. What kind of sensors or control systems did you actually integrate to monitor or manage those parameters in your project?

This integrates tyre quality. Air conditioning sensors. As well as.

So you're tying in tire quality and air conditioning sensors. What platform or protocol did you use to get these different components communicating with each other—was it something like CAN bus, or did you use a custom interface?

No, this is only a proposal. I have not yet ever updated anything.

No, this is only a proposal. I have not yet ever updated anything. Concrete on this point.

So this was just a proposal, not something you've actually built or implemented yet. Let's shift gears—have you had any direct experience evaluating students, like designing exams or grading projects in a university setting? If so, what's one challenge you faced in keeping your evaluation fair and consistent?

Alright, so this is still at the proposal stage and you haven't actually integrated or implemented those systems yet. Let's talk about student evaluation—have you designed or graded exams before, and if so, what strategies do you use to ensure fairness and consistency across a large group?

Yes, my. Yes, I had experience upgrading the students. At my master's level.

When I was celebrating the MA. Lab sheets. And how they are. They understand.

Okay, so you've graded students at the master's level. When you were evaluating their work, did you use a rubric,

So you focused on lab sheets and gauging their understanding. How did you handle situations where two students submitted very similar work—what steps did you take to ensure originality?

And moreover. I find out. The version louder. I will involve the student. Along with some other group of students. And this is one of the strategy I used in my. I group the students into multiple groups, maybe 5 or 10. And give them. Term projects and usually in this group. One or two students who are below average. Are grouped with. Students who are better performing so that they learn from each other. And help each other It's more handsome. But the individual checking. Is that when I question? When I give it up. It is also divided into multiple chapters. A multiple task. And each students. Given one simple task. They help each other. But they have their own specific task. To be answered.

I was asking them orally. Again, they're understanding. Before reading my finalizing my grades.

Okay, so you used oral questioning to confirm individual understanding before finalizing grades. When you guided student projects or research, what was your approach if a student was struggling to make progress or seemed disengaged?

And moreover. I find out. The version louder. I will involve the student. Along with some other group of students. And this is one of the strategy I used in my. I group the students into multiple groups, maybe 5 or 10. And give them. Term projects and usually in this group. One or two students who are below average. Are grouped with. Students who are better performing so that they learn from each other.

Alright, so you intentionally mixed lower-performing students into groups with stronger peers for term projects, hoping they'd learn from each other. When you were guiding those group projects, how did you balance letting students work independently versus stepping in to direct their efforts—did you set regular check-ins, or was it more hands-off?

So each student had their own defined task within the group,

So the grading depends on. Understand their understanding of overall. I think with the modern technologies it is a. Becoming innovative. To teach. So first of all I use animations. As well as presentations. If not possible videos. And I also show them the practical examples To teach them. From the basic level. Highest consequence.

So the grading depends on. Understand their understanding of overall. I think with the modern technologies it is a. Becoming innovative. To teach. So first of all I use animations. As well as presentations.

Alright, so you use animations and presentations to make things more engaging and accessible. When you're teaching a theory or lab course, how do you structure a typical class session—do you start with fundamentals, jump into hands-on work, or mix things up?

So you always start from the basics and build up to more advanced concepts. When you're teaching something hands-on—say, a lab related to smart manufacturing or mechatronics—how do you connect the theory to real-world systems or industry practices during the class?

Well, I teach from the fundamentals. With. And the hands on sessions are maybe. Once in two weeks or once in a month. But. The primary focus is on the fundamentals.

Only. The students understand the fundamental. Then. If task is given to them.

Okay,

So you only assign tasks once you're confident they've grasped the fundamentals. Shifting to your research background—what was the main focus of your PhD, and how does it relate to mechatronics or smart manufacturing?

The main focus of my PhD work is computational modeling of nuclear aerosol particles. And the assessment of its impact. On thermal hydraulics. And it is related to. The Mechatronics. In a slightly. Safety Perspective.

The main focus of my PhD work is computational modeling of nuclear aerosol particles.

Alright, so your PhD focused on computational modeling of nuclear aerosol particles—that's a pretty specialized area. Can you walk me through how the modeling techniques or tools you used there might transfer to research in mechatronics or smart manufacturing applications?

Alright, so your PhD was on computational modeling of nuclear aerosol particles, looking at safety aspects related to thermal hydraulics, which ties back to mechatronics in terms of risk and control systems. Did you publish any of your PhD findings in peer-reviewed journals, and if so, which topics or results did you focus on for publication?

In a sense, only if there are. I think mechatronics are integral to part of nuclear safety.

Whenever there are. They found some instances of hydrogen release. The system is activated.

Alright, you're emphasizing that mechatronics plays a role in nuclear safety. For your journal publications—did you focus on the modeling techniques, safety implications, or real-world applications in your papers?

So your system activates when hydrogen release is detected, which connects safety monitoring to mechatronics. Shifting gears—can you describe any experience you've had with industry projects or consultancy, especially cases where you applied your research or technical expertise outside the classroom?

Yes, I have industrial experience of more than one. And in this I developed. A specialized solver. For nuclear safety. And validated with international benchmarks and it's called containment form.

You mentioned developing a specialized solver for nuclear safety and validating it against international benchmarks—so that's direct application of your research in an industry context.

And I applied my. C Knowledge. Python. It's a collaborative project. I have given. Some specific physics. Like. Multiple phase flows. As a lifestyle planning. While my colleagues are given. Some of the tasks. Like radiation modeling. Boundary conditions. Organization.

So you contributed C and Python expertise for multiphase flow modeling, while colleagues handled areas like radiation and boundary conditions—sounds like a true team effort. Shifting to student guidance, how do you typically support or mentor students working on their own research projects, especially when they're stuck or unsure how to proceed?

And I applied my. C Knowledge. Python. It's a collaborative project. I have given. Some specific physics. Like. Multiple phase flows. As a lifestyle planning. While my colleagues are given. Some of the tasks. Like radiation modeling. Boundary conditions. Organization. So with what? Together. To build this whole project. As a tool. But we have individual. I think in research it is more of. Individual guidance.

Okay, so in your industry project,

And the care towards. Where exactly? The problem is coming up. I think the student has to find. A multi faceted approach for the same problem. Maybe he can discuss with other colleagues. Or he can discuss. Look still for same problem. From a different angle. I'm a different, et cetera.

So you encourage students to approach the problem from multiple angles and consult with peers or look at it differently, which definitely builds independence. When it comes to student evaluation—exams, practicals, or project assessments—what's your process for designing fair and effective evaluations that actually measure their understanding?

And the care towards. Where exactly? The problem is coming up. I think the student has to find. A multi faceted approach for the same problem. Maybe he can discuss with other colleagues. Or he can discuss. Look still for same problem. From a different angle. I'm a different, et cetera. Boogie you can choose as a co-guide. From interdisciplinary collaborations. And problem. I think. So when I was designing. My lab courses for the students. What happened was uh. Whether they understand. Basic concept. They are achieving at the final result.

So my focus was on the process. Whether they understand the knowledge? They applied correctly. Maybe they lose. Exactly. Uh, I see the process, how they're approaching the problem. What is the? A critical thing. What is the method they have to? And where exactly? Their mistake is. Is it a basic mistake? Yes And where exactly? Their mistake is. Is it a basic mistake? Yes. Yes And where exactly? Their mistake is. Is it a basic mistake? Yes. Yes. Well, it's an advantage actually.

So when you design lab courses,

So my focus was on the process. Whether they understand the knowledge? They applied correctly. Maybe they lose. Exactly. Uh, I see the process, how they're approaching the problem.

So for you, the process matters more than just the final answer—you want to see how students think through and apply what they've learned, even if they make mistakes. When you're teaching a complex topic—say,

Create some different backgrounds, how their own strengths. And I can group them and give them a. And some project after. A couple of weeks.

Alright,

So you like to group students with different backgrounds and strengths, then assign them a project after they've had time to settle in. When you're actually introducing a new theory or lab topic—how do you structure your teaching so students can connect the new material with what they've already learned?

I think it is more of actually interacting with the students. And uh. Understanding. Abilities and also critical thinking. And cultivating innovation. And the curiosity in the students. To understand. The subject. As well as the practical applic. So. In my opinion, if a student learns about practical application. Then he's more interested. In the subject.

I think it is more of actually interacting with the students. And uh. Understanding. Abilities and also critical thinking. And cultivating innovation. And the curiosity in the students. To understand. The subject. As well as the practical applic.

So you're saying interaction, understanding abilities, and cultivating curiosity are central to your teaching—sounds like you actively tailor your approach. Switching topics, Professor, can you walk me through one of your research publications in a reputed journal and explain what made it significant in your field?

In this way. I teach them.

So you focus on interaction and really getting to know each student's abilities, fostering curiosity and connecting theory with practical application. Professor, can you give me an example of a research paper you've published in a reputable journal, and walk me through the main contribution or finding?

Mm-hmm.

Yes Sir, one of my major works is theory modeling of hydrogen transport. Using open form itself.

Yes Sir, one of my major works is theory modeling of hydrogen transport. Using open form itself. And in this I have used. Mini Panda International benchmark.

Okay, so you modeled hydrogen transport using OpenFOAM—what was the main challenge you faced in getting that theoretical model to match what you saw experimentally, and how did you address it?

To validate my solver. And my final finding is the turbulence modeling. Which is actually. Over processing a component of buoyant to prevent turbulence.

You mentioned contributing multiphase flow modeling for a collaborative tool, but I'd like to go a bit deeper—can you walk me through a specific technical problem you tackled in that industry project, and exactly how you solved it?

Alright, so your main finding was that the turbulence modeling component ended up over-processing the buoyancy-driven turbulence. When you were working on that, did you collaborate with any industry partners or companies, or was this entirely academic?

Oh, it was the industry. Driven project because the experiments were conducted by. A private company. In Switzerland.

Oh, it was the industry. Driven project because the experiments were conducted by. A private company. In Switzerland. And I discussed with the experimentalists directly.

To understand the physical process. And it was not in the first instant I get the correct result. It has taken more than a year. To get understand of physics.

So the experiments were done by a private company in Switzerland, and you were responsible for the theoretical modeling side. When you were working with the industry team, how did you handle differences in priorities or communication styles between your academic approach and their commercial goals?

Right, so you coordinated directly with experimentalists from the company in Switzerland to validate your modeling work. When you were working across both academic and industry teams, how did you handle situations where their priorities or expectations didn't align with your research approach?

So it took you over a year, working closely with the experimentalists, to really grasp the underlying physics and get your model to align with the real-world results.

And my front. I think the academicians focus more. Under technical depth. And accuracy of each detail. But the rather experimentalists in a private company. They focus on the timelines. And the time management? How to get rich phone so. Deadlines. In this project. There are two different tasks. And I balance both of them And this work is published. 15 International Development in Washington And this work is published. 15 International Development in Washington. I think this is the most critical. Acting in as a teacher.

And my front. I think the academicians focus more. Under technical depth. And accuracy of each detail. But the rather experimentalists in a private company. They focus on the timelines. And the time management? How to get rich phone so. Deadlines. In this project. There are two different tasks.

Right, so you noticed the academic side cares more about technical precision, while the industry team is all about timelines and meeting deliverables.

To guide the students. So they should be technical rigour. As well as uh. The ability to. Complete the project.

So you see your publication at the International Development conference in Washington as a critical achievement, and you view balancing technical depth with practical constraints as essential in your teaching.

Alright, we're wrapping up. Is there anything you'd like to ask about the role or the team?

Yes, indeed.

So I would like to know whether it is possible to. Collaborate. The Collaborator. Interdisciplinary. And across also government organization. I would like to emphasize. I'm committed. Deep academic researcher And that throughout my journey. In the research as well as a chlamydia And that throughout my journey. In the research as well as a chlamydia. And the possibility of international collaborations. As well as uh. Funding for international collaborations.

Of course, what's your question?

So I would like to know whether it is possible to. Collaborate. The Collaborator. Interdisciplinary. And across also government organization. I would like to emphasize. I'm committed.

That's a good question. Collaborations—both interdisciplinary and with government organizations—are not only possible here,