Good day, Ashok Dara. 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.

Could I continue?

Yes, please go ahead.

Thank you. Thank you.

It is my pleasure to tell about myself.

Hi, Doctor Ashok.

There's something working as an associate professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Let us see Vasuki Engineering College at Tadakullah.

Basically, I am a academician.

Researcher.

Add a more event are.

Diploma Therapist.

And a family man.

In my academics.

I was completed my.

Graduation in 2018 in mechanical engineering.

Next mission Design in 2012.

Interview Kakinada.

Next I.

Worked as assistant professor nearby my hometown.

Call Mukul.

The institution name is Ace Institute of Technology and Sciences that I work around 7 years.

Then I wanted to.

Improve my skills.

Towards the research.

To contribute something towards our nation development.

And then I took a decision, a step.

For the PhD.

And I joined in NIT Puducherry in 2019.

And I completed my PhD in 2024.

Select.

Then my whole PhD work.

Is depends on cellular solids.

Where we can able to control the weight?

Energy absorption.

And thermal loading.

Sometimes biomedical applications as well.

This lattice structures are.

Meant to be.

Use for.

Absorb more amount of energy in the case of impact loading. Not only impact in case of study loading as well.

Start lattice structures are.

Developer through structs.

And she eats.

So.

It is not completely a solid member.

So it is developed through the structure like chain.

Sorry, the optimal structures we can able to fill the infill space that in fill space will controls the energy dissipation from one unit to one end of the object to the another end of the same object.

And there.

Uh, then I shifted here.

And I switched to Tadepalligudem.

That is Srivastavedhel College where I'm working right now.

Recently I completed my.

Artificial intelligence and data structures in smart healthcare.

Through DG certification program under a CTE QIP.

Certification.

Program in the IIT Denver.

So I had good example of experience.

Uh, if you exclude my.

My teaching, sorry my P tech and PhD and M tech transition time. So overall I had 11 years of teaching experience where I can.

Did the mentor mailing my students.

So totally 4 project cited.

So if the materials, materials and in the artificial intelligence as well.

So this is my small background.

Where I completed my total 10 years of teaching experience. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing, Professor Dara. Let's delve deeper into your expertise, considering the specific elements for this role. First, let's focus on computational modeling. Can you explain a specific computational modeling project you've led or contributed to, describing the methodologies and tools you employed?

Thank you. Uh.

So in computational methodology.

Actually, I didn't dive into the distant wind, I got idea about it.

Previously I had AR VR technology exposure.

So.

Uh, in case of human robot collaboration work we did in native Pudicari.

That I worked in the year we are in Masu Technologies.

That is marker based technology we used in the analytic fiduciary.

Then right now I'm not using.

The I mean my one of my project grew is not working right now.

In the case of here modeling, but I had the idea.

Destroyed technology discipline technology. I had a I mean I brought the proposal in the case of ACT Research Promise, Research Promotion scheme. There I proposed 1 project.

That electrical vehicles we can able to control through deep learning and distal train.

Related to electric vehicles.

It is in. It is shortlisted for second phase of technical evaluation.

No, yesterday only I finished the interview.

Uh, for the phase two evaluation, I successfully completed the two.

And in case of.

Uh projects previous projects you had agreed are works. What I did related to aid LDS. UH, in case of PG certification program, I did a project related to the.

Cancer detection in the eye to the fundus image.

Wonders images. So image processing technology image processing.

You may work the PG certification program only one thing one product and the second thing is in case of my PhD program for optimization of the process parameters related to lattice structures are used deep learning approach.

And then I work.

But the the 2.

Thank you.

Let's take this forward. Next, I'd like to evaluate your knowledge in applying AI/ML to materials science and manufacturing. Could you describe an instance where you applied these technologies effectively in your work?

Yes.

In related to the incorporation of technologies in the.

Materials development. Right now I'm using.

Hybrid materials development like earlier I had the good experience to deal about the powders like uh titanium, steel alloy and copper materials too. So those powders are used to fabricate the lattice structures. But one thing I observed while you are using the all materials.

And the properties will lead to the controlling of the weight in the lattice structure.

The properties will change.

Uh, simply instead of calling lattice lattice lattice structure, I will call cellular solids which can able to. It is a broad area.

So cellular solids.

And the same solar solids if you incorporate self healing materials like polymer kind of thing.

You can able to make.

Their victim materials are there and the polymers which is having covalent bond.

With the dial Alder mechanism, both mechanisms we can be able to use for self healing properties for the harbor derivation of cellular solids. So if you incorporate this kind of cellular solids, you can able to create artificial muscle with the whole and.

We can able to.

To optimize the process parameters which is able to control the thermal loading in case of electrical battery, electrical batteries. So this is my broad exposure in case of development and I had good hands-of experience to work in the simulations related to Abacus and ANSYS to those tools.

Call Cable 2.

I had good good understanding in Python as well that Python And Matlab.

So this is computational technical things I had in my mind. If I want to be there, I will totally contribute to the development of hybrid materials technology for the development of advanced materials.

Understood, Professor Dara. That was an insightful explanation, particularly your work on hybrid materials, cellular solids, and self-healing mechanisms for advanced materials and batteries. Let me move on to the next core area. How do you incorporate programming and computational analysis into teaching computational modeling theory and laboratory courses, and how do you balance these to ensure students develop both theoretical understanding and practical skills?

Teaching. It's teaching off of this computational.

In the case of.

Uh, kind of thing.

I had a good angle of experience to handle the many number of students.

In the previous past, not only this not restricted to 10 years, overall I had 15 years of teaching experience, so I can able to like handle the students and in case of balancing the lab and teaching.

While the students have have the more exposure related to the materials background and I get good experience in the dealing with the tools like Ansys, Abakas and one more advanced software like Entropology.

Then we can able to motivate to the students towards the topology optimization and metamaterials and cellular solids and lattice structures as well. So with these four technologies, the students can able to generate beautiful generative generative designs for the advanced structures. Not only in case of defense, automobile and naval applications in biomedical applications, they can able to contribute to the development of the nation as well.

Programming and this all I had good experience in case of Python And MATLAB. So there I can deal with students now. Right now I'm handling the AML hub for my students where I'm teaching both subjects AML Artificial Intelligence and material visual learning subjects and handling right now. And the same thing two sections of two batches of AML lab as well. There we are handling Python laboratory. Sorry, in the cloud we are using Python.

And this.

Atul as computational 1 and MATLAB sometimes in two programs in case of visualization of Python. Sorry padlock these two things we are using for the students point of view. But if they if I got the chance to work in the VIT Vellore there I can able to contribute those students for the development for I'll transform those students towards the development of cellular solids through the computational technologies.

Thank you, Professor Dara. It's clear that your extensive teaching experience, combined with practical tools like Abaqus, Ansys, and MATLAB, as well as mentoring students toward applied advanced technologies, aligns with the expected teaching capabilities for this role. Moving forward, could you share a specific example of guiding a student or team through a research project, emphasizing your role in helping them reach their goals?

Yes.

Right now I'm having two batches of Stew rice where the fine instruments.

Those students are working 1 batch is working on materials, second batch working on that's electrical vehicle battery thermal management.

So first one.

The materials waste material nearby waste material that is sugar bagasse.

Uh, material is waste one which you can able to use for.

Waste. I mean not waste like they are using for.

What is uh?

And I just watch for the cooking purpose nearby villages.

Source offer.

That project we are trying to convert that sugar bagasse into a a composite material.

So there there are. And not only that we are trying to be adding that carbon black and that is also one of the waste material. So combining together like epoxy.

Uh, and one more epoxy is the catalyst 1 and black black carbon and Pragas combining of these three, we are making on hybridic composite material. So where we can able to control where we can able to use as a lightweight composite material for sheet purpose like instead of?

Instead of what you call that one.

Plywood panels you can able to go for this one with the low least cost and and the sugar bugas having the highest diameter.

Thanks Strands but strands we pair more amount of load in one dimension 1 directional loading. So that will helps the students to understand how the mixing will happen, how the bonding mechanism will be happen. So these are all things they can able to understand. I mean and macro analysis. Macro analysis. Also I taught them to how to calculate or how to be simulated through the ANSYS and every aspect of in case of letters starting from the literature review to the.

Last final experimentation they are now preparing the samples. At the stage of preparing the samples later on they will go further testing now till now they completed like.

Literature review the macro analysis, microanalysis, macro analysis of the fiber and epoxy and carbon is free combination 3 combined material mechanism, and later on they will go for the same next stages characterization and testing experimentation.

Well, there's those students are handling that one and 2nd batch is totally collected to EV vehicle thermal management at like a this one kind of frame. In that frame different generating designs we can able to incorporate as infills how the heat transfer will be happen to core, I mean the battery surface to the extension of the frame, I mean crash. Or crash resistance frame like crash without there will be casing the enclosure will be there for the battery, how the thermal?

Uh, loading will be distributed from the center to the outside surface. So those two things they are working on right now and we are, if it is successful, we will ask them to write.

11 paper it is worth for one high impact journal paper also it can able to channel it.

Those are good. They're, they're doing well right now. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor Dara. Your active guidance on these student projects—ranging from creating composite materials using waste resources to innovative thermal management in electric vehicles—clearly reflects your capability in mentoring and driving research to practical outcomes, even aiming for impactful publications. Next, as we evaluate communication and teaching strategies further, could you describe how you ensure clarity while conveying complex concepts in your lectures, particularly for diverse student groups with varying levels of understanding?

It's absolutely.

We yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much for understanding because since I am a mechanical background faculty member.

Take your

I am interested to contribute my skills and expertise to multidisciplinary activities like electric vehicles. This is new technology for me. Since last year I am using the same approach. Still I am learning in them and not only that in case of after completion of my certification program in IIT Dhanbad that I am trying to slowly shifting myself towards.

A level sector and.

So combining all together like my cellular solid's expertization.

And.

And one more than like a material development through the hybridization of technologies.

What kind of technologies I have is I can able to generate the additive manufacturing technology, I'm good at it, I'm good in it. And second thing is in case of the same cellular solids, if you submit a tool structural loading like static loading and.

High impact loading and shock loading are ballastic loadings. So these kind of loadings are if we have we can able to incorporate these technologies into those things like what I, what I learned in.

DS I can able to incorporate in additive manufacturing technologies, I can able to incorporate it then cellular solids under the different loading conditions and I can able to incorporate these students to learn this kind of new technologies. So the my goal and expertise of this thing is to develop hybrid material manufacturing laboratory related to this polymer and metal combined metal because polymers having.

Beautiful advantages.

To contribute self healing.

The materials metals don't have that kind of ability, so we can if you.

Join this solid 2 polymer we can able to incorporate self healing and the students when you when you are teaching in case when if I want to incorporate these technologies in case of teaching, I can able to tell like the cellular solids as one subject.

And we can able to contribute how this allows solids will be influenced for their career through the artificial intelligence and development to create more hybridization of materials whenever we need whenever we have the.

Authority to control the property by changing the materials and their geometry and the manufacturing process parameters. So we can able to we can able to do the wonders. So in this connection I'll try to contribute.

Contribute to teach the multidisciplinary students who contribute to enhance their skills for the the ideas I mean AML as well as and the material point of view. So both whoever interests showing in their interest to contribute themselves for the artificial intelligence and material development. So I will be very happy to contribute to develop their students that kind of students. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor Dara. It's evident that you're deeply invested in multidisciplinary teaching and research, offering both a technical foundation and real-world applications for students. Balancing innovative material technologies with tailored approaches for diverse learners is a strength that aligns with this role. With that comprehensive understanding of your background, achievements, and teaching philosophy, there's a final step needed to complete the skills assessment for this interview. Allow me a moment to proceed.

Professor, let’s begin with your teaching. Could you share an example of a computational modeling course or concept that you find particularly engaging and rewarding to teach?

Right now AML one subset I can able to teach.

And if we incorporate the finite element method with the AI like the finite element analysis or method.

So that is also one of the good subject where I want to I'm showing interest in order to that key.

For incorporation of AI is one of the good technology and later on digital twin.

If I had ample amount of time for preparing myself, good enough time if I had, then I will go with the error technologies as well.

That's two and ER, we are, but I'm.

Thank you, Professor. It seems you're exploring areas at the intersection of AI, finite element methods, and possibly digital twin technologies, with an interest in error analysis if given sufficient preparation time. These are intriguing areas to integrate into computational modeling education. Let’s move forward.

Professor Dara, I see that your doctoral research focused on lattice structures in additive manufacturing. Could you provide an overview of the key objectives of that research?

Yeah, sure.

Buying preparation of lattice structure, it is subclassification of cellular solids. So where we can able to control the properties by arranging the struts. Struct means like a different like a small rods that small that rods having different different cross sections and the small rods arranged in such a way which can able to control that loading from top to bottom like chains having four legs.

Like if you if you sit down the top, the load will be transferred from top to bottom. But in the same way the same structs you can able to rearrange, we can able to control, we can able to rearrange and we can able to provide different different cross-sectional shapes. So that the loading mechanism will be different, the energy absorption mechanism also will be different and based upon the material change also we can able to control the energy absorption.

And the energy absorption and the material control at the same time of different generative design is also within able to create for the.

Uh, for the crash loading conditions I used 2 three kinds of uh.

Living conditions 1 is static loading and next one is quasi static loading and third one is impact loading. So I use 27 lattice models are generated so with the clad modeling. So then I fabricated through auditing manufacturing for a polymer based additive manufacturing I used and metal based manufacturing I used. So for metals I used to one kind of material that is stainless steel 316L powder material used.

My samples in the weight value as well. So this kind and I develop I incorporate these lattice structures in the crash box which is used right now in the bumpers, car bumpers. So I tested successfully as well. So and one more beautiful exposure I had in this one. What is that impact loading conditions that is split Hopkins and pressure bar testing very limited. Institutions have this one and I am successfully gratefully, I can say that this equipment.

And where I fabricated.

Yes, I.

I mean what you call I, I place this mission in my institution and we.

By having we manufacture the thing we incorporated and successful, it is working for the multidisciplinary, not multidisciplinary. It is working successfully in the United military and it is one of the biggest mission that people still it is using by the many number of active researchers.

Thank you for the detailed explanation, Professor Dara. It sounds like your research not only delved into the control of structural properties of lattices for various loading conditions but also had practical applications, particularly in crash box designs for automotive bumpers and successful implementation of equipment like the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar. How do you translate this cutting-edge research, especially in areas like energy absorption and material control, into a form that's teachable and accessible for undergraduate or graduate-level students?

Excellent person we can able to teach, but if we incorporate this material development and energy absorption or if we incorporate in material, if you can, if you go for the material side, cellular solids is the best subject for the undergraduate students. And if you go for the energy, energy people like metallurgy people, they can go with the what you call.

Energy absorption or otherwise.

Dial 2 manufacturing incorporated with the meta materials so this kind of subjects are enough for the students to transform them towards the.

What's the energy absorption applications?

Cortana.

I see, Professor Dara. You're suggesting that tailoring specific subjects such as cellular solids for materials science students, or energy absorption and metamaterials for metallurgy students, could effectively bridge your research into their academic curriculum. Thoroughly focusing on these applications seems like a strong pathway to engage

Understood, Professor Dara. Let’s summarize your perspective so far. If there’s any specific aspect you’d like to expand on regarding how you tailor this content methodologically for your students, I’m open to hearing more.

Uh, nothing as of now.

Forward in future collaborations and working together.

Professor, let's discuss aspects of potential collaborations and your research roadmap. Specifically: Could you outline a 3-year research roadmap focusing on how your work in computational modeling could serve as a long-term asset, particularly advancing the priorities of our institution? For example, boosting research visibility, engaging cutting-edge topics, or aligning with our goals of high-value funded projects.

Sure, sure. Right now my expertization is like in meta solar solids.

And.

That hybridization material hybridization of the materials. So this incorporation will help in the case of biomedicals and electric vehicles like I said earlier. So I, I go to proposals related to electrical vehicle.

Crash box, crash enclosure frame for the electrical batteries, electrical batteries and second thing is.

Where I proposed IRG proposal for the.

Cardiovascular.

So please not only this one, we can able to incorporate the hybridization of the material for the.

Tube with the shape memorialize.

AI.

Can able to incorporate this lattice structures for the multidisciplinary like ballistic medical conditions and in space applications like lightweight applications. So these kind of.