Yes.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir. In there where I have to my project was assigned was about. Thermal insulating. Coating on top of a. Ball bearings. So, so initially the ball. Which do. Tends to uh. Conduct and then. The grease within the ball bearings. Will melt. Down South, you know. In order to prevent this in an electric vehicles. I have to quote a PPS polymer. Polyphenol in sulfide. On top of a ball bearing. And then they check the thermomechanical properties.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir. In there where I have to my project was assigned was about. Thermal insulating. Coating on top of a. Ball bearings. So, so initially the ball. Which do. Tends to uh. Conduct and then. The grease within the ball bearings. Will melt. Down South, you know. In order to prevent this in an electric vehicles. I have to quote a PPS polymer. Polyphenol in sulfide. On top of a ball bearing. And then they check the thermomechanical properties. And next to the my, my next page was. Project of postdoctoral research. In the same department, under the same guidance. In the during that tenure. I was assigned to work. 3D printable film and material extruder. So I have to incorporate uh. Koi fiber. With the PLA matrix. And then extrude out a 3D printable filament material. And 3D printer ASTM standards and then check the tribological. And mechanical properties of the polymer.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir. In there where I have to my project was assigned was about. Thermal insulating. Coating on top of a. Ball bearings. So, so initially the ball. Which do. Tends to uh. Conduct and then. The grease within the ball bearings. Will melt. Down South, you know. In order to prevent this in an electric vehicles. I have to quote a PPS polymer. Polyphenol in sulfide. On top of a ball bearing. And then they check the thermomechanical properties. And next to the my, my next page was. Project of postdoctoral research. In the same department, under the same guidance. In the during that tenure. I was assigned to work. 3D printable film and material extruder. So I have to incorporate uh. Koi fiber. With the PLA matrix. And then extrude out a 3D printable filament material. And 3D printer ASTM standards and then check the tribological. And mechanical properties of the polymer. And after that? I have assigned as a post doctor research. I got my post doctor position. In Israel. As in Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Alright, so after your integrated master's in nanoscience and nanotechnology at Karunya University, you moved on to a PhD at Anna University. Was your doctoral work focused more on theoretical chemistry, materials for energy, or something else?

Okay, so you went from an integrated master's in nanoscience and nanotechnology straight into a PhD at Anna University in Chennai. Did your research during your PhD focus on any particular aspect of chemistry, like theoretical chemistry, energy storage materials, or hydrogen technologies?

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir. In there where I have to my project was assigned was about. Thermal insulating. Coating on top of a. Ball bearings. So, so initially the ball. Which do. Tends to uh. Conduct and then. The grease within the ball bearings. Will melt. Down South, you know. In order to prevent this in an electric vehicles. I have to quote a PPS polymer. Polyphenol in sulfide. On top of a ball bearing. And then they check the thermomechanical properties. And next to the my, my next page was. Project of postdoctoral research. In the same department, under the same guidance. In the during that tenure. I was assigned to work. 3D printable film and material extruder. So I have to incorporate uh. Koi fiber. With the PLA matrix. And then extrude out a 3D printable filament material. And 3D printer ASTM standards and then check the tribological. And mechanical properties of the polymer. And after that? I have assigned as a post doctor research. I got my post doctor position. In Israel. As in Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In during the time of my post op. Darren in here in Israel. Where I was assigned to work as a. 3D print. Biocompatible material. For the heart implants. The in which I have used. A. Biocompatible polymers like. Eng PTMG. Caprolactam Capital Act. Tone for. Making the heart constraints. So with the heart constraints.

Yes. Good. Good morning, everyone. I'm Santosh. After I did my. PhD after I did my 12th grade. I did my MSC Integrated nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In Karanya University. And then after my PG. I did my PhD in Anna University. At Chennai. And then? In during my PhD. My PhD thesis comprises of. 3 chapters. Which first chapter is about damping polymers? Where I have to synthesize the novel. Long chain polymer. And then? Incorporated with the epoxy. To make a dumpling polymer. With this matrix. I have also added. In my second chapter, in the same matrix I have added reduced graphene oxide. And then I have. Characterize the microwave absorption properties. And its thermomechanical properties. In which I have achieved our own. -51 decibels of. Microwave absorption. And then with the same matrix I have added. Reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide. To increase, increase the. Thermometer properties by adding. And the ceramic matrix. Which with the ceramic matrix. In an insulator polymer. I have achieved around -45 decibels. Of microwave absorption. Which is quite a remarkable in the. Filler material. In the epoxy matrix. So. With this. With this, the thesis. Of my PhD. From my PhD. I did my. I joined as a Project Officer in IIT Madras Mechanical Department under the guidance of. Doctor Nyana Murthy, Sir. In there where I have to my project was assigned was about. Thermal insulating. Coating on top of a. Ball bearings. So, so initially the ball. Which do. Tends to uh. Conduct and then. The grease within the ball bearings. Will melt. Down South, you know. In order to prevent this in an electric vehicles. I have to quote a PPS polymer. Polyphenol in sulfide. On top of a ball bearing. And then they check the thermomechanical properties. And next to the my, my next page was. Project of postdoctoral research. In the same department, under the same guidance. In the during that tenure. I was assigned to work. 3D printable film and material extruder. So I have to incorporate uh. Koi fiber. With the PLA matrix. And then extrude out a 3D printable filament material. And 3D printer ASTM standards and then check the tribological. And mechanical properties of the polymer. And after that? I have assigned as a post doctor research. I got my post doctor position. In Israel. As in Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In during the time of my post op. Darren in here in Israel. Where I was assigned to work as a. 3D print. Biocompatible material. For the heart implants. The in which I have used. A. Biocompatible polymers like. Eng PTMG. Caprolactam Capital Act. Tone for. Making the heart constraints. So with the heart constraints. We have checked with the multiple. Animals. Like. Rabbit rats. And pigs. And lamp so with this. We have achieved around 80 percentage of the success rate. Where these? Heart surgery. In order to regulate the blood intake and exit flow. So we have achieved the remarkable goal there. And then? These patterns are being. Further down. Bye, bye, juniors. There in Hebrino city of Jerusalem. So this. This is my academic journey.

Right, your publication in Synthetic Metals on reduced graphene oxide in epoxy composites caught my eye, especially the work on microwave absorption. How did you approach explaining the significance of this research to students who might not have a background in advanced materials or electromagnetic theory?

Alright, so your PhD thesis involved synthesizing novel long-chain polymers and exploring their microwave absorption by adding reduced graphene oxide and silicon carbide to epoxy matrices. When you taught or mentored students, how did you break down this kind of interdisciplinary research—especially the link between polymer chemistry and electromagnetic properties—for undergraduates who might not have a strong background in either area?

Given your experience synthesizing advanced polymer composites and developing thermal coatings for electric vehicles, where do you see the most fundable research directions over the next few years? Are there specific grants or industry partnerships you'd pursue to sustain and scale this work?

So you took the work on polymer composites, then applied it to both thermal coatings for bearings and 3D printing filaments with natural fibers—quite a broad and practical trajectory. Given this, what do you see as the biggest opportunities for external funding or industry collaboration at VIT University, especially considering the push for interdisciplinary and application-driven research?

So after your work on 3D printable filaments at IIT Madras, you moved into a postdoctoral position at Hebrew University in Israel. With that international research exposure, how would you leverage industry connections or consultancy opportunities—either from India or abroad—to benefit VIT University’s students and research agenda?

Alright, given your background in advanced materials and your experience working across disciplines, suppose you had to teach a large undergraduate class—say, 200 students—on the fundamentals of polymer chemistry, but you weren't allowed to use slides or traditional lectures. How would you design a session that actually gets students engaged and makes them wrestle with the concepts themselves?

So you worked on biocompatible 3D-printed polymers for heart implants and even did animal trials—impressive. If you were running an active learning session on this topic for undergrads, what’s one concrete exercise you’d use to make students actually grapple with the real-world challenges, rather than just memorizing concepts?

Yes, Sir, regarding. With my experience. I just want to. Express the students that. Advanced 3D printing. Requires lots of parameters. Within. The system. And in the environment. First and foremost thing is. Moisture is our enemy. And then? Synthesizing a voice polymer. With the correct parameters.

Yes, Sir, regarding. With my experience. I just want to. Express the students that. Advanced 3D printing. Requires lots of parameters. Within. The system. And in the environment. First and foremost thing is. Moisture is our enemy. And then? Synthesizing a voice polymer. With the correct parameters. Which requires an inert atmosphere. With the correct inner atmosphere. And with the correct molar ratios. And molecular ratios. We can achieve a perfect polymer. With the perfect polymer. In order to. Process the polymer. We need a separate expertise. In additive manufacturing. With the additive manufacturing? I implement the students. To go. Buddha, the theoretical. Concepts first. And then? In order to involve them. In a 3D printer. Or in additive manufacturing. 1st I have to. Things I have to explain to them. What to do and what do not do? While 3D printing. So in that way. We can make an. Prototype.

Yes, Sir, regarding. With my experience. I just want to. Express the students that. Advanced 3D printing. Requires lots of parameters. Within. The system. And in the environment. First and foremost thing is. Moisture is our enemy. And then? Synthesizing a voice polymer. With the correct parameters. Which requires an inert atmosphere. With the correct inner atmosphere. And with the correct molar ratios. And molecular ratios. We can achieve a perfect polymer. With the perfect polymer. In order to. Process the polymer. We need a separate expertise. In additive manufacturing. With the additive manufacturing? I implement the students. To go. Buddha, the theoretical. Concepts first. And then? In order to involve them. In a 3D printer. Or in additive manufacturing.

Yes, Sir, regarding. With my experience. I just want to. Express the students that. Advanced 3D printing. Requires lots of parameters. Within. The system. And in the environment. First and foremost thing is. Moisture is our enemy. And then? Synthesizing a voice polymer. With the correct parameters. Which requires an inert atmosphere. With the correct inner atmosphere. And with the correct molar ratios. And molecular ratios. We can achieve a perfect polymer. With the perfect polymer. In order to. Process the polymer. We need a separate expertise. In additive manufacturing. With the additive manufacturing? I implement the students. To go. Buddha, the theoretical. Concepts first. And then? In order to involve them. In a 3D printer. Or in additive manufacturing. 1st I have to. Things I have to explain to them. What to do and what do not do? While 3D printing. So in that way. We can make an. Prototype. Quite easily. Without the use of molds. I think the future is based on. 3D printings. Prototypes. And flexible elastomers. For the biocompatible medical applications.

Okay, so you’d focus on making students aware of environmental factors like moisture and the critical parameters for polymer synthesis. If you ran this as a hands-on group exercise, how would you assess whether students actually understood the underlying principles versus just following a procedure?

Alright, Professor, shifting gears now—accreditation cycles can be demanding. If you joined our department and discovered that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across chemistry courses, how would you approach fixing that?

Alright, Professor, let's talk about real-world ethical pressures. Suppose a student formally complains that your grading is unfair, and at the same time your department head is urging you to raise pass rates to improve institutional metrics. How would you handle this tension while upholding both academic integrity and departmental expectations?

So when you talk about the future of prototypes and medical applications relying on 3D-printed flexible elastomers, that's a bold claim. But let's get into a real-world situation—imagine a student comes to you and claims your grading was biased, while your department head is pressuring you to increase pass rates for better rankings. What would be your actual steps to navigate that situation without compromising your principles?

My bold claim would be that. I would. Actually. Analyze the students. When you character characterized. And and and I will absorb him.

Okay, so you’d observe and analyze the student’s character and behavior. But what if your department head still insists you need to raise the pass rate, even if you think it’s not academically justified—how do you respond?

My bold claim would be that. I would. Actually. Analyze the students. When you character characterized. And and and I will absorb him. Mahe Arkha in an in-depth knowledge. Where his background was from. And in order to implement that. I have to. Ask further in depth knowledge. That regarding not anything on bias. So I have to go with the merit standards. And also. I have to. Give their. Expertise in. Order to respect their. Background. Financial. Economical background. And social background. And to implement those students. At particular within the campus and within. Even with all the. External pressure from the management. I will try my level best. In order to protect the students future. And his educational career.

Okay, so you’d try to balance merit standards while also considering the student’s background and circumstances, and you’d push back against management pressure if needed. But say the department head insists your pass rates are too low and wants you to “adjust” borderline grades to boost them—what would you actually do in that moment?

I would actually. Push the students. For a special classes. In evenings. Late evenings. And for the special classes. Behind the weekends. For, particularly for the. Poor performing students.

I would actually. Push the students. For a special classes. In evenings. Late evenings. And for the special classes. Behind the weekends. For, particularly for the. Poor performing students. So I will analyze. What's lagging them? And what's prevent them?

I would actually. Push the students. For a special classes. In evenings. Late evenings. And for the special classes. Behind the weekends. For, particularly for the. Poor performing students. So I will analyze. What's lagging them? And what's prevent them? Shirley getting. Inside uh. Uh, what? Stops them not performing good. So. I will address those issues. And then I will try to overcome that. And then I personally guide the students.

I would actually. Push the students. For a special classes. In evenings. Late evenings. And for the special classes. Behind the weekends. For, particularly for the. Poor performing students. So I will analyze. What's lagging them? And what's prevent them? Shirley getting. Inside uh. Uh, what? Stops them not performing good. So. I will address those issues. And then I will try to overcome that. And then I personally guide the students. To make them better. In their educational. Educational subjects and the courses and the syllabus which they are. Are currently going to. And if we? To dive into the deep down root level. What causes them stopping from there? Uh, actual interest of. What's stopping them from the actual interest of the education? So in order to address that first. We can. Eliminate this T. Factors here.

Alright, Dr. Santosh, given your background in polymer chemistry and 3D printing for biomedical applications, do you have any industry connections that could translate into internship or placement opportunities for students?

So you'd offer extra classes and try to diagnose what's holding those students back instead of changing their grades outright. When you say you'd analyze what's preventing them, can you give me a real example from your past—maybe a time you identified a root cause for poor performance and what you did to address it?

Alright, so you’d set up extra sessions and personally work to diagnose and help struggling students, rather than just changing grades. When you say you’d analyze what’s holding them back, can you walk me through a specific case where you did this—what was the student’s issue, and what steps did you actually take to help them improve?

So you'd set up extra sessions and try to diagnose what's holding those students back instead of changing their grades outright. When you say you'd analyze what's preventing them, can you give me a real example from your experience—maybe a time when you identified a root cause for a student's performance and helped them turn things around?

When I did my PhD during the absence of my PhD supervisor.

When I did my PhD during the absence of my PhD supervisor. So I have to take. Care of her classes in toxicology. So I find that. One particular student. Who was far away? From the city. And he has to. Uh, come by a bicycle. From long way. From the from the suburban part of the city. So I find that issue. And then he sorted out that. Making an proper public. Accessible transport. Then making him. And a good idea since he was from a poor background. So I have to take care of. This actually. Actual food. What's lagging them? And the. Proper network services which then prevent. Prevent him from accessing the. Uh, websites which he's not access to. So since he was. Rural Background. I have to teach him all the necessary things first. Is transportation. Aunty Saha. Guiding through his entire Guiding him. Personally. And what are the things which you have to prompt in Google or in AI? So I have to. Make that. Make that candidate. Into a better one.

Alright, that was during your PhD when your supervisor was absent, but let's switch gears here. Earlier you mentioned working on 3D printable polymers for heart implants—do you have any connections with companies or industry partners from that work that could help VIT students with internships, placements, or exposure to real-world R&D?

When I did my PhD during the absence of my PhD supervisor. So I have to take. Care of her classes in toxicology. So I find that. One particular student. Who was far away? From the city. And he has to. Uh, come by a bicycle. From long way. From the from the suburban part of the city. So I find that issue. And then he sorted out that. Making an proper public. Accessible transport. Then making him. And a good idea since he was from a poor background. So I have to take care of. This actually. Actual food. What's lagging them? And the. Proper network services which then prevent. Prevent him from accessing the. Uh, websites which he's not access to. So since he was. Rural Background. I have to teach him all the necessary things first. Is transportation. Aunty Saha. Guiding through his entire Guiding him. Personally. And what are the things which you have to prompt in Google or in AI? So I have to. Make that. Make that candidate. Into a better one. So this is a small thing which I achieved. During my PhD tenure. Where in absence of my. Hello.

So you actually took the time to figure out a student’s transportation and connectivity issues, and even helped them learn how to use online resources. That’s the kind of hands-on mentoring universities really need. Now, thinking about your experience with 3D-printed polymers and collaborations in India and Israel—have you built any relationships with companies, hospitals, or research institutes that could open up internships or industry projects for students at VIT?

You actually dug into that student's transportation and internet issues—that's the kind of practical support a lot of faculty miss. Earlier, you mentioned working on 3D printable polymers for heart implants. Do you have any connections with biomedical companies or research labs that could offer internships or placements for students at VIT, or have you facilitated student-industry projects in your previous roles?

Ah, yes, Sir.

Alright, since you’ve had exposure to both advanced polymer research and some level of translational work, can you walk me through a specific instance where you secured an industry partnership or consulting opportunity in Chemistry, and explain how you’d use a similar connection to benefit students or research at VIT?

Ah, yes, Sir. During the time where I have. Uh, doing the additive manufacturing in Israel. We have uh, incorporated built. Two hospitals. One is in a veterinary hospital. Which is in technique on. And another one. Which is an which is an resident. University Campus. Campus hospital, which they face is. But the heart. Related heart surgeries and open heart surgeries. So those are the doctors which I have personally connection with and. If possible. The the. The local pharmaceutical, Intel pharmaceutical industries like Reddy Pharmaceuticals. Or in Cipla or other multinational pharmaceutical companies are currently working on. Boyo implanted elastomers. So in. In Contact. Me with the, with the with the personal, uh. A relationship with. Advanced companies where I can. Able to. Facilitate the students for an industrial visit. Or I can personally guide them. Through the theory.

You mentioned those hospital and pharma contacts, and the idea of facilitating industrial visits for students. Can you give a concrete example of how you’d leverage one of these relationships to actually integrate a real-world industry problem into your curriculum at VIT—for instance, a specific project, internship, or consultancy?

To facilitate an industrial visit for the students, which is actually depends upon the HR. Of the company. Pharmaceutical. So another one. Is that? The in order to personally. Uh, guiding the students. In the in the field of UH. In this additive manufacturing. Where I can able to make the students? Little bit more further. OK, I explained the concepts first. And the experimental first. Experimental. Experimental concepts and. Through videos and modules. So with this they can get quite an idea of that. What's been happening in the industry level? So in order to address this. First have to. Check with the students and also. I also have to teach them. In a proper way versus identity manufacturing and 3D printable compatible materials are. When they tried to get into the. When they try to see what's happening in the real world, uh, industrial visit. So they will try to understand that. These conceptual and theorems. Know perfectly when they are in the industry level. In industrial level. They don't use. One single 3D printers. For printing this Poly. It is obviously they use our. Highly industrialized. And the multiple technique for three different multiple. Multiple elastomers. For the heart implants. So in order to. Understand those first. So we can. Teach the conceptual ideas. 1st so that the students can get to know the better. And they tried to see their industrial visit.

Okay, Dr., I'm going to touch on a few must-have skills for this role, just to confirm your fit. Let's start with teaching—imagine you have to design a new lab course on nanocomposite polymers for undergraduates. What's one experiment you'd include that really helps students connect theory to hands-on practice?

So my first. Thing which I'll I'll I'll incorporate in a nanocomposite. Lab course which is. Actually. Using a thermosetting polymer. Which is already been widely used. In Across the Globe. For more than 50 years. So using a thermostat. 3 Polymer. The first thing. They can hands on us and hand layup technique. Using a thermosetting polymer like epoxy.

So my first. Thing which I'll I'll I'll incorporate in a nanocomposite. Lab course which is. Actually. Using a thermosetting polymer. Which is already been widely used. In Across the Globe. For more than 50 years. So using a thermostat. 3 Polymer. The first thing. They can hands on us and hand layup technique. Using a thermosetting polymer like epoxy. Uh, unsaturated polyester. Or. Or vinyl Estos. Where they can personally. Experience those polymers. What is the reason? What is a cross linker? What is a catalyst and A plus? The presence and what's the mixture of ratios? And mixing those ratio mixing, mixing in a particular ratio. Adding a. Adna so. These are all the. First initial steps we can. Teach the students. And then after that. For example. If there is an or. Fiber glass, fiber reinforced composites has to be done in a thermostat nanocomposite lab course.

So you’d start with a hands-on epoxy layup so students get real experience working with thermosetting polymers. When you run that lab, how do you assess whether students actually understood the underlying chemistry, not just followed the steps?

So my first. Thing which I'll I'll I'll incorporate in a nanocomposite. Lab course which is. Actually. Using a thermosetting polymer. Which is already been widely used. In Across the Globe. For more than 50 years. So using a thermostat. 3 Polymer. The first thing. They can hands on us and hand layup technique. Using a thermosetting polymer like epoxy. Uh, unsaturated polyester. Or. Or vinyl Estos. Where they can personally. Experience those polymers. What is the reason? What is a cross linker? What is a catalyst and A plus? The presence and what's the mixture of ratios? And mixing those ratio mixing, mixing in a particular ratio. Adding a. Adna so. These are all the. First initial steps we can. Teach the students. And then after that. For example. If there is an or. Fiber glass, fiber reinforced composites has to be done in a thermostat nanocomposite lab course. So preparing. The table. But any moisture? And a clean environment first. Then mix adding the. And then the auto claim. You know, confusion technique is another process. We're highly which is been widely used. That the vacuum is assisted in order to. Get a better resin flow. Inside the matrix. So this is my, uh, second step of.

So you’d have students do hands-on layup with epoxy and talk through the roles of crosslinkers and catalysts—that’s a solid way to connect the chemistry to the process. When you run that lab, how do you assess whether students actually understood the underlying theory, and not just followed instructions?

So my first. Thing which I'll I'll I'll incorporate in a nanocomposite. Lab course which is. Actually. Using a thermosetting polymer. Which is already been widely used. In Across the Globe. For more than 50 years. So using a thermostat. 3 Polymer. The first thing. They can hands on us and hand layup technique. Using a thermosetting polymer like epoxy. Uh, unsaturated polyester. Or. Or vinyl Estos. Where they can personally. Experience those polymers. What is the reason? What is a cross linker? What is a catalyst and A plus? The presence and what's the mixture of ratios? And mixing those ratio mixing, mixing in a particular ratio. Adding a. Adna so. These are all the. First initial steps we can. Teach the students. And then after that. For example. If there is an or. Fiber glass, fiber reinforced composites has to be done in a thermostat nanocomposite lab course. So preparing. The table. But any moisture? And a clean environment first. Then mix adding the. And then the auto claim. You know, confusion technique is another process. We're highly which is been widely used. That the vacuum is assisted in order to. Get a better resin flow. Inside the matrix. So this is my, uh, second step of. Can you put them for a composite meeting? Open Material. So after so I then I will teach them to. Go for the curing process. What's precuring and? Who's curing? And I will teach them about. What? The curing temperature of that particular polymer. What speed curing? What's post curing? And what to and what not to do? During the. Lamination. I will particularly I will explain them about what's the damage which they will cause at. Higher the rate of. Extreme mechanical or tensile? Or thermal or flammable. Environments. Environmental. Which this? The composite polymers. Will experience. So. I will address those first. And then? I will teach them. What to add to prevent this flammability? What to add to prevent the increased? The service life of the polymers. And what additional additives to be added? Inside the matrix. In order to prevent this composite. From breaking off or. Delamination. So, uh. These are all the These are all the initial steps I will. 2 for. Collect me a course on. Lab goes on. Nanocombo. Am I audible?

Alright, you clearly value hands-on learning and have students work directly with materials and techniques like vacuum infusion. Shifting gears—when it comes to student evaluation and exam duties, walk me through how you’d set up and grade a laboratory practical so it’s both fair and discourages rote memorization.

Alright, you mentioned teaching students about resin ratios, vacuum infusion, and curing in composite labs, which is pretty hands-on. When it comes to evaluating students—practicals, theory, or both—how do you make sure your assessments actually reflect their grasp of the subject instead of just memorization?

So. In order to prevent the students from memorizing. So. Let them in the. What they're looking? First of all, they have to know. What? They want. The primary objective. And what's their? Which they have to be achieved. Which will be given enough. So in order to. From memorizing. So I have to, they have to know that. What is reason? What is a cross linger? What is an additive? What is a? What is? Uh, what is the? Purpose offer now. Application fabricating. Composite. Which they are being going to use. In a real world situation. For example.

So. In order to prevent the students from memorizing. So. Let them in the. What they're looking? First of all, they have to know. What? They want. The primary objective. And what's their? Which they have to be achieved. Which will be given enough. So in order to. From memorizing. So I have to, they have to know that. What is reason? What is a cross linger? What is an additive? What is a? What is? Uh, what is the? Purpose offer now. Application fabricating. Composite. Which they are being going to use. In a real world situation. For example. The uh, the students which are very much familiar with. That actually with their gadgets. Actually with the with the phones. Or they are. Uh, video games and consoles are like that. So, umm. What? They're what they'll what what I will personally connect them is that. Just fabricate, uh. A composite which will be used for. Not dropping your phones. So it'll be a cover for your cover, cover for your phones, so. For that. They will get an. And for that, I'll get their attention first. And then? Using that attention. And from grabbing those attention. And then I can show them up. How to? Make a mold out of it. And then using that. We can make a composite material. And over for fabricating the composite material.

So. In order to prevent the students from memorizing. So. Let them in the. What they're looking? First of all, they have to know. What? They want. The primary objective. And what's their? Which they have to be achieved. Which will be given enough. So in order to. From memorizing. So I have to, they have to know that. What is reason? What is a cross linger? What is an additive? What is a? What is? Uh, what is the? Purpose offer now. Application fabricating. Composite. Which they are being going to use. In a real world situation. For example. The uh, the students which are very much familiar with. That actually with their gadgets. Actually with the with the phones. Or they are. Uh, video games and consoles are like that. So, umm. What? They're what they'll what what I will personally connect them is that. Just fabricate, uh. A composite which will be used for. Not dropping your phones. So it'll be a cover for your cover, cover for your phones, so. For that. They will get an. And for that, I'll get their attention first. And then? Using that attention. And from grabbing those attention. And then I can show them up. How to? Make a mold out of it. And then using that. We can make a composite material. And over for fabricating the composite material. I can show them that. The materials. Which you're looking for. So you have to search in the lab. You have to go with the. Pre pre preparations. What you have to do in the coming up? And then after that. Search with the. Objectives. And search in the lab. For your chemicals and the. Things which are going to do. And then after that. I'll guide them. By doing. Those nano fabricating the nano composite materials. In a real world. Actually. While while doing that. I'll, I'll tell them to. Watch the videos and modules. Before handling those. Uh, expensive materials on the. Lab so in that way we can prevent them from memorizing. Actually. Which which will very much inspire them. And then they'll take the nanocomposite. Back to the. Back to the place. Where they belong and then. They'll have it for they'll have it and they'll treasure it that. They have done that.

So you focus on making sure students know the core concepts behind the experiments, not just the steps. Can you walk me through how you’d actually evaluate a student’s lab report to tell if they’ve genuinely understood the process or just copied from a manual?

So you'd get students engaged by connecting composites to everyday things like phone cases and guiding them through the actual process, not just the chemistry. Now, shifting gears—can you walk me through a time when you had to guide a student project or research effort, and what specific steps you took to keep them on track and learning, especially when things weren't going as planned?

So you’d connect the lab work to something practical like making a phone case, and you’d have students prep, search for materials, and handle the whole process themselves so they’re not just memorizing steps. Now, on research guidance—you’ve supervised students and even covered for your advisor, but have you ever formally guided a student-led research project from proposal through to publication or presentation?

Yes, Sir, I have. I have guided. Mtech students are Mtech nanotechnology students. While doing. Biocompatible thermosetting polymer using Cardinal. I have I have assisted them using nano. Graphene Material. Graphene Nanofibers. And then? Adding with adding on cardinal. And then? Uh, reimbursing these materials. With the. Silicon carbide. Which that makes an excellent biocompatible. Uh, thermosetting polymer composite.

Yes, Sir, I have. I have guided. Mtech students are Mtech nanotechnology students. While doing. Biocompatible thermosetting polymer using Cardinal. I have I have assisted them using nano. Graphene Material. Graphene Nanofibers. And then? Adding with adding on cardinal. And then? Uh, reimbursing these materials. With the. Silicon carbide. Which that makes an excellent biocompatible. Uh, thermosetting polymer composite. So this is the assistance which I have but done on the M tech students. And then they successfully, uh. Tried and published an article in that. In Polymer composites party.

So you supervised MTech students working on biocompatible thermosetting polymer composites with graphene nanofibers and silicon carbide. Did you help them take that project all the way to a poster presentation, publication, or industry pitch—or did it stay within the lab?

So the first thing regarding the nanocomposite is that. Making the students very much. Active that, what is an alternative? For the. Metal and matrix composite. The they they must know the limitations of the metal matric composites. And the ceramic matric composites. In which the lightweight polymer matrix can be in replaceable material. For two alternatives, I can't say that it's entirely been replaced. Three conditions these lightweight materials with the higher tensile properties. The nanocomposite material with the input to fiberglass or basalt fibers. Where these comes in handy. Where in place of. High in order to replace the high heavy materials and then, uh. Accessibility of the materials will be very. I and uh. Energy. Consumption. In which? Which can be taught in a ground up. Level so. From that ground up level. We can teach them that. These are all the future. Composite materials which can be highly. Applicable. In the real world conditions. So from that. The I can able to manage the students that. They can. They they can option for us especially. Composite materials will be a viable. In the near future. Hello, Sir. Hello, Sir.

So the first thing regarding the nanocomposite is that. Making the students very much. Active that, what is an alternative? For the. Metal and matrix composite. The they they must know the limitations of the metal matric composites. And the ceramic matric composites. In which the lightweight polymer matrix can be in replaceable material. For two alternatives, I can't say that it's entirely been replaced. Three conditions these lightweight materials with the higher tensile properties. The nanocomposite material with the input to fiberglass or basalt fibers. Where these comes in handy. Where in place of. High in order to replace the high heavy materials and then, uh. Accessibility of the materials will be very. I and uh. Energy. Consumption. In which? Which can be taught in a ground up. Level so. From that ground up level. We can teach them that. These are all the future. Composite materials which can be highly. Applicable. In the real world conditions. So from that. The I can able to manage the students that. They can. They they can option for us especially. Composite materials will be a viable. In the near future. Hello, Sir. Hello, Sir. Sir. Sir, any more questions?

So you emphasized making sure students understand why polymer matrix composites matter compared to metals and ceramics, and guiding them toward seeing future applications themselves. Shifting to communication—when you have to explain a complicated chemical process, like radical polymerization, to a class with mixed backgrounds, how do you structure that lesson so everyone follows?

You focused on helping students understand the trade-offs between metal, ceramic, and polymer matrix composites, and led a project all the way to publication—that’s the kind of guidance that matters. Now, to wrap up, how do you ensure your teaching style is clear and structured, especially when explaining complex topics to students from very different academic backgrounds?

Uh, yes, Sir. Uh, once, uh, I, I just want to, uh, conclude, uh, summarize that. When I teach in a subject for the students from the very different backgrounds. From various linguistic backgrounds where they don't have a proper access for the English. English vocabulary or proficiency? So in order to. Give the students using an AI compatible module for them so where they can visually. And, uh, where visually they can. Uh, check on those websites, check on Joseph videos that they can. Visually they can engage on them that they can. It can be a module, not classical video that they can be a module. So choose the right answers between these two where they can. I think that this is a right answer. And then? And a cartoonish character. For expanding them. For regarding what's an? What is the complex? The things like for example for expanding. What is a DLS printer? So, uh, digital, uh, sintering print. Printers using additive used for additive manufacturing. So these are all the techniques. There can be. Visual in attendance. Visually. Uh, they can, uh. What's happening?

Uh, yes, Sir. Uh, once, uh, I, I just want to, uh, conclude, uh, summarize that. When I teach in a subject for the students from the very different backgrounds. From various linguistic backgrounds where they don't have a proper access for the English. English vocabulary or proficiency? So in order to. Give the students using an AI compatible module for them so where they can visually. And, uh, where visually they can. Uh, check on those websites, check on Joseph videos that they can. Visually they can engage on them that they can. It can be a module, not classical video that they can be a module. So choose the right answers between these two where they can. I think that this is a right answer. And then? And a cartoonish character. For expanding them. For regarding what's an? What is the complex? The things like for example for expanding. What is a DLS printer? So, uh, digital, uh, sintering print. Printers using additive used for additive manufacturing. So these are all the techniques. There can be. Visual in attendance. Visually. Uh, they can, uh. What's happening? Wright underwent the unicurable thermogen. Can be made into a. Uh, prototype. So for that. They need a. Perfect visualize. Module and not just like a video. They need a perfect visualizing module, so with the video modules. And the assistance of an AI I will personally. Them what? How to? What are the text? Which they can get from the is an unavoidable things. Now it's an unavailable. Teach them. Teach them how to do the prompts. And then I'll make a. Uh, video module. In how to make the explaining this complex theorems and concepts? In particular regarding. The nanocomposite.

You really emphasized using visual

Particularly for the various academic students.

Right, you’re tailoring your teaching tools for students from different backgrounds so everyone’s included. Alright, Dr., we’re wrapping up—do you have any questions about the role or the team before we finish?

Uh, no Sir, currently. OK, no.