Good day, Dr. N.V. Lakshmi. 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?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

Good morning Sir, this is Doctor NB Laxmi. I I have completed my MSC in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from National Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of my class. I have completed my PhD in Central Environmental Research. My research area is on polymer nanocomposites where I use graphic and multi hybrid nanofillers for electromagnetic interferential effectiveness. I have six years of teaching.

Forward to I'll forward to grow in both the ways in teaching and research where so vit will be helpful for for for my overall development in both teaching and research.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. Teaching and research are indeed complementary domains in the field of academia, strengthening each other. Let’s delve into specific aspects of your expertise to explore how you’ve engaged with both areas. First, could you elaborate on your experience in conducting research and publications? Specifically, how do you approach developing and publishing innovative work in this field?

Thank you Sir. Like my research interest is like it's graphene based nanocomposites. I have 9 publications with good impact factor. I have also filed a pattern which is always already granted it's on based on nanocomposites and I'm recently also filed one UK Panther.

Established my research work. I'm I'm also guiding.

PG students for their MSC project based on my thing like they I have been went for many conference presentations and publication now. Also recently I have uploaded a tracker which is under review process.

That's impressive, Professor. Your research on graphene-based nanocomposites and your patent filings demonstrate significant contributions to the field. The guidance you provide to MSc students further highlights your dedication to nurturing academic growth. Can you share how you incorporate your research findings into your teaching methodology? Specifically, how do you ensure students can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications based on your research?

Sure, Sir. Like, uh, my research is on the well advanced material of graphene, uh, nanotubes and everything in day-to-day life. I, I put forth to the, my students that what are the real world applications needed. So today my ambition is to like energy successibility, like for future generation. So I mainly concentrate on the energy development sectors like sensor solar cells. I motivate.

My students to find out the real time applications. So we are working on what are the challenges we have. So we work on the solar cells, we graphic based nano composites for solar cells. I motivate my students to find out the thing which is really needed for today's society and we are keep working on that basis to develop our society as well As for the classrooms.

That approach is commendable, Professor. By connecting advanced materials like graphene with real-world applications such as energy sustainability, while fostering problem-solving skills in your students, you're nurturing both academic growth and societal relevance. Let’s switch focus for a moment to your teaching strategies. How do you balance theory and laboratory courses effectively to ensure students grasp both the foundational concepts and their practical implementation?

Like a theory as well as practical, we go on hands on training, project based learning where students can learn the theory as well as the practical applications we give. Like we motivate them, we demonstrate with the projects what we do. We go with laboratory fistless, whatever we have, we nurture them with that. So they learn the theory theoretical as well as the practical thing.

Understood, Professor. The emphasis on hands-on training and project-based learning truly enriches the students' understanding, bridging the gap between theory and practical application. Moving into your evaluation process, how do you structure assessments to accurately reflect both students' theoretical understanding and practical skills?

Can you repeat me the question, Sir?

Certainly, Professor. How do you design your student assessments to ensure they effectively measure both their theoretical understanding and practical skills?

Thank you, Sir. Like we go with your usual online test versus feedbacks from the students, what they understood. We have a discussion, oral discussions. We mentor the students. We stop and ask questions, how they understood and what and when. We nurture them in every way.

Thank you, Professor. It’s clear you employ a diverse range of assessment techniques, from structured tests to interactive feedback and mentoring discussions. This demonstrates a thoughtful approach to evaluating and supporting students. Let’s transition to your ability to guide student projects and research. Can you describe how you mentor students in selecting relevant research topics and ensuring they approach their projects with academic rigor?

Their availability and what are the availability of the lab and things we go for that.

Thank you, Professor. Your approach of aligning students’ interests with societal impact and available resources creates meaningful research opportunities while encouraging personal and academic growth. Now, let’s move to a broader aspect of communication and teaching. How do you ensure that your lectures or research presentations are structured in a way that is clear and engaging for your audience, be it students or peers?

Should I say like, uh, I'm, I always break my concepts into smaller ones. I make a real time examples. I put put for them a lot of questions how, why? And I always start with the familiar concept, what they know actually. From there, I usually develop the complex concepts to make them clearly understand, uh, so that they don't confuse with that.

Always I'll make them repeat by giving different different examples and make them each one in the classes understanding the concept. And I at last I said give us a summary and a take home point so that they everybody in the class is benefited by that.

Thank you, Professor. Your method of starting with familiar concepts, breaking down ideas, using real-life examples, and recapitulating with summaries is a strong strategy for ensuring clarity and retention among diverse audiences. Let’s examine your qualifications and achievements now. How has your Ph.D., research publications, and patents contributed to your expertise in teaching and mentoring? Could you reflect on how these accomplishments have enhanced your academic and professional approach?

Sure, Sir. Like I have lot to lot of things I have learned in my PhD journey, in my research, like not only academic, not only theoretical knowledge, we have learned a lot of experience, techniques, how to handle the situations when the results are not proper in coming out in the right way. We don't get down, we actually come back and we put all our energies to get the results works done. Like I have gained a lot of knowledge there but.

Analyzing each and everything when the things are in the right way or in the different way, we try to put up all the things, we try to gain knowledge and like analyzing the situation and everything. These things are now helping me a lot to do it in my academics and teachings where we analyze the things we analyze because students are now very studious and they keep on asking many questions. We analyze and we keep our knowledge expanding and make sure that. All the learnings which I learned from my peers face my publications have given me a gained me a lot of experience and knowledge which is now very easy for me for to do my teaching career to impart knowledge on my students. Like I can be answerable to whatever they ask in my research field as they have a strong knowledge on my publications and my research work. So they are also very quite interested on my approach so they keep.

Like they are also interested towards rivers. I have motivated the students to from their masters to their PhD levels. Thank you Sir.

Thank you, Professor. Your reflections on your Ph.D. journey, the perseverance required during challenges, and the analytical skills developed truly showcase the depth of your academic foundation. This knowledge clearly enriches your teaching by motivating students and addressing their queries with expertise. Lastly, could you share your approach to involving students in industry projects or consultancy based on the advanced research work you conduct?

Shares are likely industry projects like we have some science actually as I have my science background faculty, we mainly focus on the scientific things, we focus on the structures and design. But The thing is we want to commit out as a project where we had a patent on the wearable nano band is still feeling nano bandage like it's a design product design pattern where it can be commercialized so. Many of my research is too like we have to come out with an commercial products where now we are working on the solar cells. So in order now solar cell is for like quite interesting and it is growing like we are also concentrating on the how to improve its efficiency, its flexibility, its stability mainly so that in near future we were we could collaborate with some industries where they have kind of give us the funding to make.

What a thing to be technologists and we can partner with them and we can go for a few more patterns and interest. If it is product is industry ready, we can collaborate with the industry, Sir.

Understood, Professor. Your focus on developing commercially viable products such as the self-healing nanocomposite bandage and efforts to improve solar cell efficiency demonstrate a clear application of research towards industry collaboration. This approach holds strong potential for fostering practical outcomes and funding opportunities. Having reviewed the breadth of your expertise and approach, let me now proceed to finalize the technical competency assessments. Thank you for your detailed insights; please hold for a moment.

Professor, to start, can you share which foundational course in your field you enjoy teaching the most and why?

She also like I like to teach physics of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It's my master expertise. Actually I I enjoyed the journey of land masters of land science and nanotechnology. So I always teach like nuroscience and nanotechnology. The properties of nanomaterials where the quantum confinement effect the surface to volume ratio.

Or which which makes the nanomaterials highlighted in day-to-day research.

So I always enjoy enjoy this physics of nanoscience and nanotechnologies characterization of the materials where we characterize using different techniques like Exodus and them like whatever the if we go for the application where we use the analyzers various processes for depending on the application we use like I go for characterization of materials like also I, I like material science actually.

That's the one thing where which I motivated to apply to the center where I love material science, the how materials work, how the deformation occurs, how what is the strength of the materials, its mechanical properties, thermal properties and different types of properties. So I love enjoying material science the to the core as a science faculty. I enjoy the basics of science, how the material is formed, bonding defects, how it it.

To the advancement in the field, to the day-to-day research so from the bottom of the science to the technology I enjoy I enjoy in teaching material science. Related papers solicit physics papers, nanomaterials, synthesis, characterization, physics of material solids and chemistry everything.

Professor, it's clear your passion for teaching and exploring nanoscience and material science runs deep, covering everything from the fundamentals to applications in research. Thank you for sharing that.

Professor Lakshmi, thank you. Based on your academic background, I'd like to focus on a couple of areas relevant to your research and teaching. Your granted patent on "Bioactive Nanocomposite Bandage for Self-Healing Antimicrobial Bandage" is intriguing. Can you describe how the research behind this invention informs your classroom teaching, particularly in fostering students' understanding of material science and nanotechnology?

Sure, Sir. Like, uh, if I come to the, the wearable like self feeling nano bandage, it's a polymer nano composite. It's a biocompatible 1. How to fill like fast steel the things. So with this, like we had a basic understanding how the material is being synthesized from there, how it is being synthesized without any defects, without any impurities. So that is the first and foremost.

Where we go with that like then it goes to the characterization level and we study the characterization. So it's a step by step process and then we go for the application path.

Sure, Sir. Like it's quite interesting like defect free, like making a nanomaterial defect free is very, very challenging one like it. It all mainly depends on the purity of the chemicals. Whatever we use, we always go for high-quality chemicals, the distilled water, double distilled water and the and also the even the cleaning techniques of the whatever the material glass bursts we use. There are some proper approach should be there. Everything should be crystal clear.

Professor Lakshmi, I see the emphasis on synthesis and characterization. To go deeper, how do you translate these technical steps—such as ensuring defect-free synthesis—to a classroom setting? Specifically, how do you simplify these concepts for undergraduates while maintaining academic rigor?

And we go also we have a trial and error methods which gives us the defect free nanomaterials. Depending on the nanomaterials we can have N number of techniques. Usually I prefer like going with the solver thermal or hydrothermal process where we usually can get with the defect free solids compared to any other techniques like wall meaning or some other things.

Understood, Professor. You’ve discussed your methodology for achieving defect-free solids. As a follow-up, how do you design practical lab exercises or demonstrations that enable students to grasp these principles of high-purity synthesis and trial-error methods effectively?

Sure Sir. Like that we will be training the students how to handle the glass was initially first because we were trained in our PG like how to maintain the glassware itself is A1 type of laboratory class. So I also like I want to impart the same thing to my students by maintaining the free pure glass vest, the high quality chemicals then they should not mix up any chemicals with one another.

The ratios, what they take like we will be telling them. We I usually demonstrate how to do that with hands on training. We usually go for the synthesis in the in front of the student. They can they are quite interested in learning all these things. When I do practically do and show them, they will be easily understanding how to maintain the glassware, how to maintain the chemicals, how to do the experiments practically, how to make different free solids. How to maintain the environment? How to maintain the laboratory environment?

When I keep on demonstrating them with the hands on things, may taking them to the lab and doing and showing everything, it's easily graspable to them, Sir.

Thank you, Professor Lakshmi. Demonstrating these methods directly in the lab seems both effective and engaging for fostering practical understanding. I'll proceed with the next section.

Professor, let's begin with your three-year research roadmap. Could you outline the key areas of focus, expected outcomes, and how this plan aligns with institutional goals in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science?

Sure, Sir. Like this. The center where I applied is for material science as the professor in Taifa core. It's mainly focusing on the solar cell applications where people are with solar cells mainly. So it aligns with my research code where I also focus mainly on the graphene based nanocomposites for solar cell application by improving its efficiency and stability. So that's why it's my main interest to work here with the typhoon by collaborating with. My fellow colleagues or my?

Expert people who are there so that I can improve myself as well as I can contribute to the institution by high impact journals or more patterns or a collaborative works or funding works.

Understood, Professor. You mentioned graphene-based nanocomposites for solar cell applications—how specifically do you plan to scale your research capabilities over the next three years to ensure consistent contributions to high-impact publications and institutional excellence?

Actually, I like, I, I now I'm working on my, this, uh, scraping based nanocomposites, uh, in my, some metal oxide based nanocomposites for like pureification of water ponds. Like now I'm working, currently working on that as well as I'm working on the, as I told, I'm working on the solar cells. So which is going to be the recent trend. And the I hope so if this work which I'm working is going to be get it fulfilled.

I can come out with a very good number of publications or two or three publications in the area of the solar cells as well as in the purification of water in the pot water. Both the things are in love raised and currently working on register. So you can expect me to have some good number of publication in the upcoming years and some if I provided with some more funding so I can expert expand my. Research to the technology also so which will contribute to the institution as well as to the center.

For the growth of both the peoples.

Thank you, Professor. Now, to deepen this further—how would you ensure effective mentoring of junior researchers and postgraduate students in your lab? Specifically, what strategies would you employ to guide them in producing high-quality publications and staying aligned with institutional standards?

Yes, that's good. Good one, Sir. Like I also keep motivating my students, my research. If I am provided with a junior research fellow or an MSC project, I keep motivating them. I try to give them interest in the in the same field so that they are motivated and they don't get distracted anyway, like I keep on motivating them. Make them knowledgeable. I can provide them so that they also learn. I I will be guiding them to where to study and how to study, what to study. Because they are the PG students, they are at the initial stages of their research. I give them the knowledge which I gain so that they can draft how to do the paper, reading words, paperwork. I give them a review work so that they can draft easily. The whatever the recent research works that have been good if we go for a good review paper.

The MSC project schools or research fellows will easily understand what this happened this for last five years or 10 years so that they can easily cope up with my research back and they can give you good output in the publications.

Thank you, Professor. Lastly, what role do you envision for international collaborations in boosting both your citation metrics and the visibility of your research? How would you approach establishing and maintaining such connections effectively?

Sir, like where I work is like it's a teaching placement, focus mainly on the teaching. Now it's a institute like VIT where we have a good opportunity to meet with great scientists and great expertise who are working in the same field so that I also get familiarized with all these things and the expert peoples. I can gain knowledge and so that I can go for a very good number of publication and citations. I can go for a conference.

Things like international conference or a national conference where are research outputs will be demonstrated. They're gaining a very good name and reputation for the institute so that it can foster all.

Thank you for sharing, Professor. We’ve completed this segment. Let's continue.

Professor, let's start with your approach to implementing an active learning model, such as a Flipped Classroom, for a large-enrollment course in Chemical Engineering or Materials Science. I want you to explain it thoroughly, but here's the constraint: no use of slides at all. Go ahead.

But can you pardon, can you give me the question back?

Certainly, Professor. Can you explain how you would implement an active learning model, such as a Flipped Classroom, for a large-enrollment course in Chemical Engineering or Materials Science, without relying on slides? Please provide a detailed implementation.

Our scheduled time for the interview is now up. Before we conclude, do you have any questions related to the role or the company?

No Sir, actually like flipped classroom or blended learning without using slides, we can demonstrate with the interactive panels like whiteboard technology where it can have the the like old tradition method like with the white boards where we can use the interactive things where we can go for the online and we show can demonstrate the videos which is relevant to that we can access through the technology through the interactive video.

So that will be helpful for the students in learning it. When they say visually, usually students learn it very fast when they go for a visual demonstration like a video presentation, like a graphical representation in the interactive panel via whiteboards are used by where I was used with my previous years of experience. The students are used to get it along with that. So same thing can be applied to the chemical engineering students also Sir so that we can.

What about the learning process through the interactive panels?

Interesting approach, Professor. To expand on this, let's now look at a subject-specific scenario: for a course dealing with complex theories in Materials Science, such as electron diffraction or phase transformations, how would you use instructional methods like interactive panels, problem-solving exercises, or experiments to ensure students actively engage and grasp the concepts thoroughly?

So that's a good one, Sir. Like, like I take the example of a phrase transition where we can explain that triple point like faced equilibrium points up like with a graph. So we generally go for the graph in demonstrating the phase transmission waste from the solid to liquid or liquid to stream occurs. So through the graphical representation, we have a good number of animations where we can. Make understand the students how to how they face equilibrium.

Those are how the phase transmission occurs. How where it what is the triple point like everything to come up to a same point in the face transmission like solid to liquid, liquid to gas. So instead of demonstrating orally, we can go for a graphical representation and animation presentation so that the students understand it very clearly.

I see. Now, Professor, let’s focus on assessment philosophy. For these complex topics you're teaching—like phase transformations—how would you design evaluation tools that go beyond standard testing, enabling you to measure genuine competency in your students’ understanding and application of the concepts?

Sir, like we can go for an online quizzes like like they they would be given with the question set of questionnaires so that they can be answered easily. Like they can be given a seminars from what we have taken, they can come back with that they can teach us like they can share us what they are doing so that the faculty can understand whether the student has understand the concept or not. If not, we can more we can simply break.

Complex the concept into even more simpler terms and assess the students. And we can make more. We can make them understandable.

Thank you, Professor. Your ideas around using seminars, simplifying concepts, and fostering hands-on engagement are noted. With that, we've completed this section.

Professor, let us explore your capabilities in institutional stewardship, particularly regarding accreditation processes and academic standards. Could you outline your systematic approach to improving departmental metrics, such as research output per faculty, required for high-level accreditation?

Goods like yes, Sir, its if it comes to the academic accreditations like it depends on the each individual faculties with the institution. Our outputs are highly needed for the institutional growth. So I like like with high input, high impact paper in publications patent like getting the funding projects from the government agencies like the estate. The RTO.

Will will give us the reputation and accreditation to be enhanced result.

Understood, Professor. Publishing high-impact papers and securing government-funded projects are indeed integral to accreditation and reputation enhancement. How would you approach enhancing research visibility and academic networking for VIT University to further solidify its standing as a leader in Materials Science research?

Time is up! Ending the interview now.