Good day, N Sathish. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Yes, I'm ready.

Yeah, myself and Satish. Currently I'm working as an assistant professor in Steve Venkateshwara College of Engineering, Chennai. So I have a total academic experience of over 13 years. So I completed my PhD during last year and I did my masters in embedded and real time system and I completed my bachelor degree in the year 2010 in in the major of electronics and communication engineering.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

And mostly I'll I'd like to teach a basic subject as well as the embedded oriented subjects throughout my 13 years of teaching.

Understood, Professor. With 13 years of experience focusing on both foundational and embedded-oriented subjects, you bring a solid balance of breadth and depth to your teaching profile. Could you provide more insight into how you've approached teaching these areas—perhaps specific methods or tools you've employed to ensure effective learning outcomes?

Yeah, actually, uh, in my, uh, throughout these thirteen years and I have taken, uh, electronics oriented subjects more frequently and uh, uh, uh, another uh subject is control systems. So, and additionally I'll take, I took embedded system subjects also. So whenever I go for design based subject like electronic circuits or circuit theory, I used to teach them in the through the chalk and then I'll with the help of some of the.

Softwares, I'll show them some kind of a demonstration, like for example if I'm doing a BJT based analysis, I'll go with the software software simulation in order to how the circuit works. So in case of a control system, I'll go with MATLAB based explanation whenever I go for graphical graph based problem, problem solving, right? And in case of embedded system, I'll go with some of the online emulator and simulator in order to make the.

To understand much better.

That's an excellent approach, Professor. Integrating practical tools like software simulations and online emulators into traditional teaching methods is highly effective. It not only reinforces theoretical concepts but also helps students connect theory to real-world application. When you use these tools, how do you ensure that students truly grasp both the theoretical underpinnings and the practical implications? For example, do you assign projects, real-time experiments, or design challenges?

So in academic usually we used to give them assignments or kind of a mini projects. So whenever I complete my teaching so I'll give them small small tasks like design A so cute of the to achieve these value. Or I'll ask them to design A control system based problems and I'll ask them to submit the graph which is generated from the MATLAB. So in case of any queries I'll give them.

Ask it in the during the next session or they can make a messaging through WhatsApp community or a group so that that is how I'll make them to understand if they feel my support, additional support I may provide. Maybe I'll provide additional classes for them or I'll a lot of additional hours of teaching for them to better understanding.

Kind of a platform in order to get it clarified. Either they can.

That's a commendable approach, Professor. Providing a platform for continuous learning and using tools like WhatsApp communities to extend support highlights your dedication to student engagement. Additionally, offering mini-projects and fostering iterative problem-solving surely helps students develop deeper analytical and practical skills. How do you typically measure the success of these teaching strategies? Do you rely on specific feedback methods, exam outcomes, or project quality to assess their effectiveness?

So usually, uh, I will, uh, queue some kind of a grading system for assignments or we'll go for a presentation. In case of a project, I will, I'll ask them to present. So in my present institution, we have to provide the three assignments. So what I'll do is I'll give one assignments based on, uh, the problems and another arrangement, It may be a mini projects. So on the third estimate, what I'll used to consider is I'll ask them to.

Go for a presentation of their projects so that they can improve their presentation skill as well as I can evaluate how they are they can able to grasp my teaching or how they can able to reproduce what they learned during my session. That is how I used to evaluate them.

Thank you, Professor. Your structured approach to evaluation not only ensures a thorough understanding of the coursework but also fosters key skills like problem-solving and communication. Incorporating presentations, particularly, prepares students for real-world scenarios where they must articulate and defend their work. Speaking of mentoring and guiding, could you talk about any specific student projects or research initiatives you’ve overseen, particularly in the embedded systems or control domain? How did you guide those efforts to ensure their success?

Actually, uh, during the year, uh, 2019, uh, the my, I mentored a student and they have, uh, submitted a problem statement related to the, uh, biometric authentication for accessing any, uh, uh, locker kind of thing. That is a task given by the industry. And my student has, along with me, we submitted a proposal and it got selected. So I motivated them to go with, uh, very specific. Novel way of.

Having a secured communication, so and my proposed work along with the student got selected and we went for final and almost we were a runner in that competition. So likewise, I used to give a different statement to every year for the student and I will ask them, I'll work with them and I'll teach them and I'll motivate them to go for further level of learning.

That is an impressive example, Professor. Guiding students through an industry-driven problem like biometric authentication and achieving recognition as runners-up demonstrates your ability to mentor students effectively. It also highlights your commitment to bridging academic learning with real-world applications. When working on such projects, especially with industry involvement, what approach do you take to balance academic rigor with the practical demands of the problem?

So, uh, balancing between academic and, uh, practical since, uh, both are very important. Uh, so I used to ensure that a student does not, uh, uh, concentrate much on one side. So I'll make them to learn, uh, both and during their free time, or they'll ask them to schedule a proper time in order to do the learning process as well as. Myself has to provide a good.

Teaching, So I have to balance myself also between the academic as well as mentoring of a student. So I used to spend much time during in my home whereas during in my institution I used to concentrate more on teaching.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. Your commitment to maintaining a balance between academic teaching and mentorship, even at a personal level, is commendable. It’s clear you place a strong emphasis on holistic growth for your students, ensuring they excel both in theory and practical applications. Now, let’s shift slightly—since research is another key focus for professors, could you elaborate on your current or most recent research work? Specifically, its objectives and any significant findings or contributions.

Yeah, my PhD work actually is related to the localization of underwater wireless Internet network. We all know that the covering of the entire water bodies is a very tedious task. And present days most of the researchers are concentrating on ensuring the entry of other country people are they are measurement of something that that will happen in future that is like kind of a tsunami waves. So we used to places.

So the in the underwater and my research work especially on localization of underwater sensor network. So these sensor networks works basically on the battery and we cannot charge it whenever we need. So once it is placed, we cannot charge it again. So we should avoid interacting with the devices more frequently. So whenever we start to collect the data from the. The sensor node, first we have to identify where exactly the nodes are located. That is my actual work. So the existing method have a lot of localization error. So I have taken up the DB hope algorithm and I first introduced the optimization of the algorithm. So in that particular algorithm they used to compute average localization, average distance, half distance. So that has a mini errors that is it it is taking it is. Approximate value so it has many errors. It leads to a large localization error. So my first work is to reduce these localization error through the optimization of average half distance. Then I have introduced.

Mill based optimization. So in normal computation what we used to do is we'll take the entire water body in a single computation. Instead I have introduced A clustering, so now I'll just split the entire area. Area into N number of clusters. Instead of computing for a large area, I'll compute these localization of a sensor node for each cluster and then I'll combine it together so so that my error error will be reserved. So I have achieved very least error as compared to the existing method through my present research work. Now I'm focusing on the next stage that is a routing of. Your sensor network. So that is my present ongoing work actually.

Thank you for such a detailed explanation, Professor. Your research on underwater wireless sensor networks is both fascinating and highly impactful, especially for applications related to national security and disaster prevention. The introduction of clustering to optimize the DB-hop algorithm and reduce localization error is an innovative solution to a complex problem. It’s impressive that your work not only addresses a technical challenge but also has long-term practical implications for resource-limited sensor networks. As you move into the next phase of your research on routing within these sensor networks, how do you envision mitigating challenges like energy consumption and maintaining reliable communication in such a constrained environment?

So at present, I'm just uh, concentrating on localization error. And I have achieved better, uh, performance in terms of localization error. So I can able to achieve, uh, reduction of, uh, localization error close to 90% as compared to the existing method. But now I am in the uh, uh, uh, uh, process of, uh, calculating what is a energy consumption, what amount of energy is saved because of my localization error.

So I'm thinking of going with some kind of optimization methods in order to improve the existing method, as well as I'm planning to introduce some of the new novel methods in order to reduce the energy consumption along with my.

Method that is. That is my plan. I'm here to explore it in further.

Understood, Professor. Your focus on improving energy efficiency in conjunction with reducing localization error is a commendable progression in your research. Tackling both localization performance and energy optimization will undoubtedly strengthen the practical applicability of your work, especially in resource-constrained environments like underwater networks. Best of luck with your ongoing exploration and development of novel methods in this challenging yet crucial domain. Let’s proceed. Could you now also provide an overview of your experience in publishing research in reputed journals? For example, the type of topics you’ve focused on and the impact those publications have had in the field?

Uh, can you please elaborate it a bit?

What the uh example?

Certainly, Professor. I was referring to your track record of publishing research papers in reputed journals. Could you share examples of notable papers you've authored? Specifically, what were the main topics or problems tackled in those papers, and how did they contribute to the academic or technical community? Additionally, were there any significant citations or recognitions your work received?

Yeah, actually my, uh, first, uh, paper had cut population, uh, vile and it is uh, Q2, uh, CA journal. And my second work actually I have submitted to the LCA journal and the journal of Computer and Network application that is presently under consideration. It is a Q-one based journal and the impact factor is 8. So before, uh, these two pepper, I have one of my paper I got published in Scopus indexed journal.

Which is, uh, uh, Elsevier E Prime journal. And, uh, my first work is, uh, got a good citation since it is a, uh, study based, uh, uh, comparative study of arranged based and range-free localization algorithm. And it has a good reputation among the various researchers. And now I'm getting, uh, so many citations, 1 by 1, maybe, uh, my, uh, present work, which is under, uh, review in the LCA journal once it got published.

The I I may get more number of, uh, citations. At present I am actually, uh, editor for for.

Of the.

Books. It's one letter.

17 to 8 months and I also contributed close to 15 chapters in books, so these are my records in research publications.

Thank you, Professor. Your extensive contributions to research, including publications in Q1 and Q2 journals, indicate the high caliber of your work. The recognition your comparative study on localization algorithms has received through citations is particularly impressive and highlights its influence on the academic community. Additionally, your role as an editor and contributor to numerous book chapters showcases your broader engagement and dedication to advancing knowledge in your field. Let’s now discuss your experience with industry collaboration, particularly consultancy or applied research projects. Could you share instances where you’ve successfully worked with industry partners and how those collaborations benefited both parties?

Yeah, industry collaboration in the sense presently I'm collaborating with QNX. It is a our task based company. It is actually owned by BlackBerry recently I'm ongoing and the training and I'm about to complete the training in another 10 to 15 days. So I'm at that purpose of that training is to. Just deliver a session or I have to handle a subjects?

To the fair students. So once I complete these uh.

Uh, course I'll, I have to handle, uh, one subject called the QNXR task. It is the syllabus is given by the industry. So I have to handle as, as that subject to the students. So after I, uh, train the students, now the industry will, uh, go for recruiting the student based on the knowledge. So it is a kind of give and take policy. They are providing a platform for me to learn and through myself, uh, they'll train the.

And at the end, they'll get a good candidate from my institution where I work now. Maybe when I move to another institution, that knowledge will be transferred to the another institution. Also presently that is a major milestone what I have achieved with the industry collaboration. So in another 10 to 15 days, I'll be certified QNX trainer.

Understood,

Congratulations on your significant collaboration with QNX, Professor. The give-and-take structure where you serve as a bridge between industry knowledge and academic training is an excellent example of an impactful industry-academia partnership. Being a certified QNX trainer will undoubtedly enhance your ability to prepare your students for industry readiness while also amplifying the value you bring to your institution. This collaboration not only benefits students but also showcases your effort to stay aligned with evolving industry standards, thus enriching the curriculum and making it more relevant. Thank you for sharing. Would you like to discuss any other specific achievements or contributions before we conclude?

So contribution in the sense actually I am uh, selected as one of the uh, star performer in my institution this year. Also I have uh, received uh, a star performer in the NPTEL in the year 2020 and I have completed the close to UH-15 NPTEL courses. I started uh, enrolling for these courses right from the 2014.

Have one more achievement, I appeared for the gate in the year 2010 and I got 33.33 per Marks and through that only I got admission into the my master degree. So what I'm trying to say here is I have these continuous learning habit and I have a good knowledge in my subjects along with I'm presently focusing for the results also in order to improve myself. In our research area also.

Until now, I'm learning continuously and I.

Thank you, Professor, for sharing your achievements. Being recognized as a star performer both in your institution and through NPTEL highlights your dedication to excellence and continuous learning. Your commitment to upskilling through NPTEL courses over the years further demonstrates a genuine desire to remain updated and proficient in your domain. Additionally, qualifying GATE and leveraging it for advanced education underlines your academic rigor. Your focus on lifelong learning and continuous self-improvement is both inspiring and a key quality in shaping the next generation of professionals and researchers. It seems evident that you bring robust expertise, coupled with an admirable dedication to teaching and research. I believe that wraps up my questions for now. Do you have any questions or anything further you'd like to share?

No, not.

Thank you, Professor. It was a pleasure discussing your expertise and accomplishments. Your passion for teaching, research, and continuous learning is truly commendable. I wish you continued success in your academic and professional journey. Would you like to confirm if I should end the interview now?

Yeah, I'm happy that I have interacted well and we can conclude the interview.