Yes, hi.

How are you?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Alright. Just a quick intro — your name and what you've been working on.

OK. OK, so my name is Divya Singh. And I have been. Working in the field of single molecule enzymology to understand underlying biophysical principles. Associated with enzymes, protein folding dynamics, Nanoparticle catalysis. So on and so forth. Basically I try to employ tools of. Mechanics to understand the inner workings of enzymes and important. Biomolecules.

Okay, so you're focused on single molecule enzymology and nanoparticle catalysis, using mechanics to probe biomolecules. That's a pretty specialized area. Anything else from your academic journey you'd want the committee to know before we dive in?

Uh uh, it does. Necessary to do all these things because in terms of empirical times, we can understand. Yes. Yes. Yes, I have also worked in the field of protein folding dynamics. I I have applied first passage. Theoretical frameworks and also waiting time for malisms to understand how. Building and unfolding. Dynamics actually impact biological action. Of proteins how? Traps can actually hamper the overall dynamics of reaction. And also. Published these two aspects. Should I tell more? Like apart from protein folding, what else I have worked on?

Professor, let's talk about the classroom for a moment. Is there a foundational chemistry concept you particularly enjoy teaching to undergraduates, and how do you usually introduce it to help students really grasp it?

OK, so by training as I have said, I have been working in the field of statistical mechanics.

So, umm. So, but actually what kind of models we bring into research?

Alright, so statistical mechanics is your foundation. When you're introducing something like entropy or partition functions to students for the first time,

Okay, so you're wondering about the types of models you bring into your research. Are you asking about how you choose which theoretical or computational models to introduce to students, or do you mean the models you apply in your own lab work?

So basically when I'm trying to explain any concept I try to deal with. Basic postulates of that subject. For example, as you said about partition functions, we know that there are multiple particles and molecules scattered around all over the atmosphere in the air, and let's say we are considering. A number of moles, of number of moles or certain number of atoms. We have to understand properties of the. These molecules at. Ensemble level. So it's just like collection of different. In a class. All have different properties. But. On an average, we try to understand what is the potential of the class in terms of average marks.

Professor, I noticed your 2025 Nature Communications paper on high-order Michaelis-Menten equations for inferring hidden kinetic parameters in enzyme catalysis. When you've taught undergraduate kinetics,

So on and so forth, but actually there are a lot about. Expect potential of students. Just like. How we try to. Than about single people. That's a very nice question because we have to start from. The domestic treatments and tell what macroscopic insights are actually accessible all the time to. Real data people and also people who deal with synthetic or. Very good data point. So you have to start from those concepts. Example what is the concept of maximum? Rate of reaction. What is the Michaelis Menten constant? What is the turnover number?

Right,

And eventually, we transit. From macroscopic to the microscopic world using advanced. Non equilibriums are. Gun mechanics. And that's how we can. MMM. OK OK. That's very important because for understanding higher order mechanisms and equations, first of all we should be. Pretty much familiar with the concept of. State approximations on how. These approximations. Are, you know, working in time scale separations and how they are employed to? Obtain the well-known incident.

And eventually, we transit. From macroscopic to the microscopic world using advanced. Non equilibriums are. Gun mechanics. And that's how we can. MMM.

Given your background in single molecule enzymology and nanoparticle catalysis, where do you see the most promising and fundable research directions emerging in the next three years?

OK. That's very important because for understanding higher order mechanisms and equations, first of all we should be. Pretty much familiar with the concept of. State approximations on how. These approximations. Are, you know, working in time scale separations and how they are employed to? Obtain the well-known incident. Yes.

Let's shift to teaching for a moment. Suppose you're leading a large introductory chemistry class, but you're not allowed to use slides or traditional lectures. How would you structure a session to keep all the students actively engaged with the material?

You emphasized the importance of students grasping state approximations and timescale separation as a foundation for higher-order mechanisms. When you're actually teaching a large group, how do you check that students are genuinely understanding these abstract concepts, not just memorizing them for the test?

OK, it's a very nice. OK.

So if you were running that session with no slides or lecture, what would you do specifically to check if students are really engaging and not just tuning out?

Alright, Professor, let's talk about your role in the department beyond research and teaching. Accreditation cycles can get pretty demanding. If you joined the department and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across Chemistry courses, how would you approach fixing that?

So if data is inconsistent, it simply reflects that. Either resource. Processes are limited. To the set of people for whom they have been designed. Or the execution of. For those. Design approach is not working properly so we have to fix. We have to fix the loophole. So the strategic layout should be. They should be. And engaging. Tutorial session or? Elaborated questionnaire designing. Done from coordinators or teaching assistants.

They should should be dedicated. Concept building sessions organized by. You know Tas and coordinators for applicant. Yes.

Okay, so you’d start by diagnosing whether the issue is in the design or execution of the assessment process and then work on interventions like tutorials or redesigning questionnaires with input from coordinators or teaching assistants. Day to day, what would you do to make sure those new processes are actually being followed and the data collected remains consistent over multiple semesters?

Alright, Professor, let’s move to a scenario many faculty eventually face. Imagine you’re teaching a core chemistry course.

Yeah, yes, because. First of all, grading is based on a standard. Protocol and formulas which are designed in Microsoft Excel and if it is done to a particular student it simply means it has been done to the entire class. So. At any time. Any coordinator being fair can be proved in front of the department or the university. So of course. The coordinator is very honest in evaluating the copy and has no particular bias towards. If I have to improve these results, of course I have to take students into confidence and. Ask them what kind of teaching. Inputs they want from. The professor or coordinator or even TAS in order to understand the concept better because many a times. Concept is easier, but the way it is interpreted. On a platform or a teaching session, it complicates the subject for students especially. As you have asked for undergrad students who have just. Past intermediate and they are being exposed to research and. Technology. So. Basically ask. Students what? They need. To simplify their complexity. Will help coordinators as well as DAS. TS design it. In an efficient manner which can be delivered. To the right set of audience, which are actually stories.

Alright, Professor, let's pivot to bridging chemistry with industry. Given your research in single molecule kinetics and catalysis, do you have industry collaborations or connections that could help students access internships or real-world projects?

Alright, so you rely on standard grading protocols and communicate that the same process applies to everyone, but you also emphasize gathering feedback from students to help them understand concepts better and adjust your approach if needed. Can you give me a concrete example of how you've worked with teaching assistants or coordinators to improve evaluation processes or academic integrity in your classes?

Yes, I can tell you during my PhD days I was teaching group theory. And. Many other courses like. Thermodynamics, kinetics, and molecular modeling. Every week there were 4-4 hours dedicated session where two were mandatory to be attended with the coordinators and students 11. And I. Introduce one. Hours so that. All students have. You know, dedicated. Discussion time. Time with the. I used to solve all the tutorials and upload it after evaluation. So And specifically. Go on that portal. Understand each and every step. And perform better in And specifically. Go on that portal. Understand each and every step. And perform better in. Oh, so basically. The way a student is trying to present his. Years or even. Uh, if an already published work.

Yes, I can tell you during my PhD days I was teaching group theory. And. Many other courses like. Thermodynamics, kinetics, and molecular modeling. Every week there were 4-4 hours dedicated session where two were mandatory to be attended with the coordinators and students 11. And I. Introduce one. Hours so that. All students have. You know, dedicated.

Alright, Professor, shifting gears a bit—when you’re evaluating students, especially in lab exams or project defenses, how do you make sure your assessments are objective and fair, especially if you’re working with a large cohort?

Tell us a lot about his strategy or understanding of the subject. If the person is trying to explain something.

So you made sure students could access all the evaluation steps on the portal and compare their approach to published work. When you’re guiding student projects or research, how do you help them choose a feasible topic and support them through unexpected challenges?

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

You’re saying the way a student presents their understanding—whether it’s original or based on published work—reveals a lot about their grasp of the subject. Can you walk me through how you’d communicate complex chemistry concepts to students who are struggling, especially when you have to break things down step by step?

Sure. So basically. If a student is. Finding difficult to understand a concept. It simply means. ** *** or she is not aware of the postulates on which that particular chemistry or that particular science has been. Design. If we know the concepts or the building blocks. Of. With statistical mechanics or quantum mechanics. It's our reaction dynamics. Then obviously we know how. Are the principals working? If we know how principal. Working, we can understand how formulas are generated and the moment. Understand that. We are ready for. Advanced applications, not only in the field of research. But also in technology.

Right,

Have said a couple of minutes ago like. Directly in the. Yes.

Definitely.

Okay,

You mentioned earlier that you’d help students by focusing on the foundational postulates. Can you give a specific example of a time when a student just wasn’t getting a concept, and what you did differently to help them finally understand?

Sure.

Sure. Uh, when I was teaching group theory, I had some students who were lagging behind.

So you’ve got a method where you go back to basics with the student, making sure they understand the building blocks and the principles behind the formulas. Now, can you tell me about any work you’ve done with industry projects or consultancy, especially where you brought in real-world chemistry problems for students to tackle?

Alright, you had students lagging in group theory—how did you adjust your approach for them, and what was the outcome?

And came to the coordinator and the coordinator assigned certain duties to me which were. Additional tools. Yes. Yeah.

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

Yes.

Absolutely, Professor. What would you like to know about the role or the team?

So. Yeah, I would like to know about the role in detail and also about the team. I have a couple of questions regarding the resources which are. Usually available to young faculties when they join your Instagram. I would like to know about.

Like what you offer? Like in terms of computational facilities software?

Alright, Professor.

Like what you offer? Like in terms of computational facilities software? Like you.

Like what you offer? Like in terms of computational facilities software? Like you. OK.

Thanks for asking, Professor. Let me get you the specifics on the resources, computational facilities, and software typically available to new faculty in this department. At VIT, as a new faculty member in chemistry, you'll have access to standard computational resources and licensed scientific software relevant to your research area, plus departmental support for laboratory and curriculum needs. If you have specific requirements for high-performance computing or particular software tools, those can usually be accommodated through the university’s central facilities or research funding. Anything else you’d like to ask about the department or support systems?

Okay, noted.

Thanks for asking, Professor. Let me get you the specifics on the resources, computational facilities, and software typically available to new faculty in this department. At VIT, as a new faculty member, you'd have access to well-equipped computational labs, most standard chemistry simulation and analysis software, and shared department resources for research and teaching. There's also support for procuring specialty software or equipment if your research requires it, though that process can take a bit of coordination with the administration. Anything else you'd like to know before we wrap up?

That is all.