Good day, Dr. B. Lavanya. 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?

Good day, Arjun. I'm actually grateful for the opportunity given.

I am Dr. B Lavania, A biotechnology graduate in specialization in Food biotechnology.

Include enzyme technology and for technology. I'm interested to teach in for science and technology.

Dr.

Food safety compliances and food processing technology.

Being a teacher I am most into.

So my classes will be held practically and the the theoretical concepts will be explained simply using lifetime examples or real time examples. And it'll be relevant for industry applications as well.

Concept based learning with application oriented outcomes.

And coming to my teaching experience, I feel I am an inclusive teacher where I include both smart learners and slow learners. Keep both of them engage in my classrooms.

And coming to the subject area, my fundamentals have given me a strong background for food chemistry, food science and technology, food microbiology, food processing technology, quality control, and food safety regulations and compliances.

With all this, I feel I would be in.

Eligible lecturer to teach for the post of Assistant Professor in the field of Foot Technology.

Can I exam? Can I explain it with a small example?

Thank you, Dr. Lavanya. I would like to proceed by asking specific questions to further evaluate your expertise and teaching philosophy. To start, could you elaborate on how you integrate real-time examples into your teaching methodology to make theoretical concepts more industry-relevant?

Of course, Dr. Lavanya. Please go ahead.

Yeah, thank you. Actually this is a simple concept, what we call it as Browning of foots. Usually due to oxidation, the foots become Browning like with a small example of apple we will have when you keep the cut apples in a plate and leave it exposed in air for 5 minutes or 10 minutes, we can see Browning of apple.

Actually, vitamin C is an antioxidant.

And it is proved to inhibit the process of Browning. So I just applying vitamin C on an apple slice with different concentration.

I can show the effect of antioxidants against Browning of foots in a real time example where students will be inspired and they will be innovative. They will have innovative thinking in all the concepts. This is how I can make the concepts very clear for the students and can create interest for the students and make the class lively and. With practical demonstrations.

That's a clear and engaging example, Dr. Lavanya. It effectively connects a fundamental concept to a practical demonstration, highlighting its relevance and impact. How do you typically assess whether students, especially those with different learning paces, have grasped such concepts during these sessions?

Yeah, to cater with the students of different calibers, first I'll be giving them the concepts with practical explanations, live demonstrations, or industry relevance. Then I will have different evaluation strategies like quiz debits, group activities. in Group activities, I'll make sure that the slow learners and the fast learners are mixed up so that the fast learners will.

With the slow learners to understand the concept and the fast learners or will have and more expertise in leading the team and will make way for innovation in the project.

And apart from that, simple questions like quizzes will remind the slow learners to go back to their concepts to read and to remember and recollect. So by assignments which is going to cater all the group students like slow learners will be giving assignments in the core concepts whereas advanced learner will be giving assignments with their innovative thinking. So in this way with different modes of exam.

And by using different methods on online teaching tools and AI like parallel, Canva, think, a card everything I can cater both slow learners and advanced learner and I can evaluate or examine them.

Rationally.

Thank you for elaborating, Dr. Lavanya. Your approach to inclusivity in teaching, integrating tools and strategies to engage learners of varied calibers, is commendable. Could you share an example of how you've guided a research project or assignment that encouraged innovative thinking among students?

Yes, actually.

Innovative project in the sense recently I have given in a place where I am working where I just gave a topic of foot spoilage for the kids and assignment.

So in the foot spoilage I asked them to make working models.

And I saw so many people making like taking few pieces of bread, wetting them up and putting it on Ziploc covers in with the addition of preservatives and without the addition of preservatives. And they were able to show me the contamination of food in the presence and in the absence of preservative. And the amount of contamination was very visible because the incubation time was around 3 days. So the microbial growth on the bread pleases what?

Card was evident that sounds, uh, kids, uh, students learned, uh, foot spoilage and the role of microorganism and the role of additives in food technology. This is how we can give many projects where they understand and apply and so many kids are like so many students apply 2-3 different additives or natural homemade additives like synonyms, vitamin C, which also gives way.

For today's sustainable food processing technology where we need chemical free preservatives and natural preservatives with green labels. So that is in compliance with FSSA regulation and it is the need of the heart and the students also understand the basic concepts very well based on the projects which is given.

That's an excellent example, Dr. Lavanya. It demonstrates not only your ability to inspire students but also to align learning with industry-relevant and sustainability-focused goals. How do you typically guide students to ensure such projects are grounded in rigorous scientific methodology while encouraging their creativity?

Exactly, exactly. First I would like to give them a topic and after giving a topic I will have a discussion class with them. In the discussion class I will give them a different heading like what is a project about and on what basis they are going to work and what is their methodology so that without wasting further time I can align the students at the right time so that they move in the right direction. So it will be a student centric method of assess.

I take time and listen to each and everyone's ideas and models priorly before they make. Once everything is set, if they have research component or if they have innovative component in that I guide them accordingly. So I make the students to think about it, I give time, I ask them to reflect on it and I see for an outcome based education rather than a theory based.

Approach so that the students will be application oriented and they will be industry-relevant.

And I will also ensure to make sure for an industrial visit or to have an expert talk or or else to have a guest lecture in the concerned field. So that I will make an arrangement to interact with the industry expert or researcher in the particular field. So that the students can interact. They can have a deeper understanding on the research, innovation and all other fields and then they can proceed with their assignments. This is how I can bring about the.

Innovation and research component in the field where I work.

Your structured yet student-centric approach clearly demonstrates a commitment to fostering both academic rigor and applied learning, Dr. Lavanya. It balances foundational guidance with autonomy for students, which is invaluable in shaping industry-ready graduates. Let me now pivot slightly to evaluate your research profile. Could you highlight one of your most impactful research contributions and its relevance to food science and technology?

Uh, Ethan, of course, actually we were working with the role of Eastern nanoparticles and it was a recent research publication which we have published. Actually, my aim is to prepare a nano particle which can be used as an packaging material to avoid microbial growth in packaging industry. And as a preamble for that, we have synthesized a nano particle like silver nano particle using.

Saccharomyces service here which is nothing but an Brie was ease. So with that we made nanoparticle and this nanoparticle will be coated with the beta carotene which is going to be extracted from pumpkin and it is going to be used as an antibacterial and antioxidant substance and it is going to be applied as a smart packaging technology which is a current need in the food processing technology industry.

This is my research interest as of now, which I'm working on the synthesize the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticle is published and we have collaborated with Doctor Rehan in School of Chemical Science and Engineering and we have published a paper with that and extraction of beta carotene and. Working on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in progress and this result has to be published.

Antioxidant packaging material.

That is a significant research initiative, Dr. Lavanya, addressing both sustainability and innovation in food packaging technology. By combining nanoparticle synthesis with natural antioxidants like beta carotene, your work has the potential to offer practical solutions to contemporary challenges in food safety and shelf-life extension while adhering to green principles. What challenges did you face during the development and characterization phases of these nanoparticles, and how did you address them?

Umm first and foremost it was about the interest of the student and me, like many of the students, will not be interested in our own area. So the challenge was like making the students to understand the importance of the need and once they understand, they start working with us and funding. We are trying actually. So funding was one of the major challenge, which I found because silver.

Uh, nitrate and all is very costly and the institution where I am working right now, if I am in a place like VIT which supports uh research faculties, umm, it would be helpful. And that is one of the main aim for me where I see for a migration or relocation from the current place. Because V 80 is a university which caters academic excellence along with research and industry collaboration and IT.

Should commendably appreciate the role of VIP in the process of research and helping the faculty to get funding and publish papers. So that's that. That was the challenge which I face now. And one of the collaborator for the previous work is also from VIP only. I am grateful and I would like to mention the same here because without their help, I would have not been able to complete the research work. So that was a major. Challenge which I faced being an initial researcher.

And I still try to apply for different funding agencies and hope I'll probably get my funds in the recent in the coming future.

Thank you for sharing, Dr. Lavanya. It’s evident that you’ve navigated significant challenges, particularly in fostering student interest and obtaining funding, with determination and collaboration. Your acknowledgment of institutional resources like research funding and collaboration channels further reflects a forward-thinking mindset. Reflecting on your teaching and research philosophy, how do you envision merging these two areas to enhance both student outcomes and practical contributions to the field of food science and technology?

OK. Coming to food science and technology, it is an evolving and emerging field which needs integration of multidisciplinary subjects. For example, for food spoilage detection, we have sensors and thermal sensors, smart packaging labels where we have integration of the basic biology with electrical subjects.

And VAD being a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. Interdisciplinary.

Ground where students of different course interact and the ecosystem of the students in VIT will be much more favoring for this interdisciplinary projects and interdisciplinary collaboration especially in the field of food science which needs people and expertise in different grounds like electrical engineering.

Biotechnology or biochemistry and when it comes for nutraceutical foods or plant based.

Uh, uh, new tracepticals, we need the help of uh, uh, GarageBand from life finds or who will be very strong in all the basic concepts of biology and how the compound is going to work as an antimicrobial compound or anti cancerous compound and how in case of probiotics.

The we have an association of microbiologists with immunologist where we can see how the gut microbiome is going to influence the. Immune metabolism and how it is going to be.

Probiotic molecule or prebiotic molecule or symbiotic molecule combining everything together and the metabolite what it produces, where we have the role of chemical students or chemical engineering students to prepare them in artificial phase. So according to me in food science and technology.

Work. It is going to be working efficiently and then.

We need collaboration and involvement of experts from different fields when we collaborate with each other and when we can work on the needs which is there in the.

Industry, I hope we can come out with a.

Patient and research.

Initiatives and to nurture startups, they provide space and VAT has a technology business incubator which is which I feel that it is going to help the innovation and the young mindset including their curriculum for their projects or mini or mega projects or final year projects so that the students will be industry ready, they will have hands on expertise.

And we have collaborators with K Biotech in Bangalore where they offer various.

They will have an outcome based education which they can apply in their life and future apart from their.

Normal mode of examination. That's what I feel about this.

Thank you, Dr. Lavanya, for that thorough explanation. Your emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, industry alignment, and fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through initiatives like incubation centers is truly forward-looking. It demonstrates your ability to bridge academic research, practical solutions, and innovative thinking. Based on your perspective and experience, how do you plan to balance these interdisciplinary collaborations, rigorous research demands, and your commitment to impactful teaching in an academic setting?

Umm, according to my expertise, uh.

This Gen. Z, it's a very smart actually.

What I think is we just need to show them what all the gaps available between academia and the research and what is actually required in an industry environment for them to survive. That can be promoted by industrial visits by giving them real time case studies as assignments and which will enable them for a deeper understanding and deeper thinking. The innovative component mark which has to be given for them.

Uh, can be given, uh, with the help of, uh, internships or, uh, can we, uh, given with a, with, uh, a small working models or like that When we give some target targets and real time solutions, I feel the kids will think more than us. And they come out with innovation. All they need is a guideline and expertise hand to help them to make it as a research publication.

As as a mentor or a monitor, I feel my role is not only giving them concepts, not only giving them the real time solution, but also to guide them whenever they are stuck and to help them with the contacts of mine and with when they require collaborations so that they will have they will not be stuck at one place and when they come out and when they progress. And obviously they will have interest and they do well. And this is how this.

To work with them and to bring it out as a product and.

Can be converted into innovation and it can be converted into research. That's how I feel. So that the students are not only clearing the exams and getting the degree, but along with that they also have insightful mind and insightful thinking for the real time situation and problems in their life and in their career as well.

Academic can.

Thank you, Dr. Lavanya. Your approach to equipping students with industry-relevant skills, fostering innovation, and mentoring them through practical and collaborative problem-solving clearly reflects a dedication to holistic education. It’s evident you envision academia not just as a foundation for theoretical knowledge but as a platform for impactful contributions and preparing students for real-world challenges. That concludes my evaluation. Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses and detailed insights. I hope this discussion was a productive reflection of your teaching and research strategies. Is there anything else you'd like to add or ask before we conclude?

Just a point.

Being in.

Value based educator who believes on inclusive learning and outcome based education.

I feel VAT is a platform and I'll be happy to work with.

Institute like VID which has a.

A Fast forward thinking ecosystem in the field of education.

That's it. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Lavanya, for sharing your philosophy and enthusiasm. Your value-driven and inclusive approach is inspiring, and your vision aligns well with fostering excellence in education and research. It was a pleasure speaking with you. I will proceed to finalize our discussion. Do you confirm that I may conclude this interview now?

Yes, thank you.