Yes, Sir.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

I'm doctor Vimal Kumar Mariyapan currently working. DST Inspire. Faculty fellow. At Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, I completed my PhD. At 2021 in the field of applied energy system from Juju National University. South Korea.

South Korea. And my research mainly focuses on the development of preparation of low dimensional materials for advanced energy storage.

So you mentioned your background in applied energy systems and your current faculty fellowship in Materials Engineering. What's one foundational concept from your field that you especially enjoy teaching to students?

Okay, so you're developing low-dimensional materials for advanced energy storage — when you introduce this concept in your classroom, how do you make it approachable for students who might not have a deep background in materials science?

Actually what is the low dimensional material was? Like for example how I will be explain was. From rice powder how we are making a batter? Like that the nanomaterials has been top down approach and bottom approach. 2 type of approaches there I will be mingling. Both that. Which will be commercial which will be easily understandable for the student and in real time application. I will give as an example and I will be making them how the low dimensional. Be there and how? How it will be worked beyond graphics? Why it can be so specific compared to the other?

Dr., one of your selected publications is on "Antimonene dendritic nanostructures: Dual-functional materials for high-performance energy storage and harvesting devices" in Nano Energy. When you teach advanced undergraduates or early-stage graduate students, how do you break down the significance of antimonene in energy storage so they can actually grasp why it's a big deal?

Uh, that will be basically explained for an undergraduate student. I will explain what is meant by energy storage, what is super capacities doing? And why that is only few material is working as then uh super capacitors? Because in the energy storage it should be have a fast EDLC behavior, not a. Phase transfer material. Should not be there, so that comes an antimony. Antimony is nothing but the antimony, the 2D material of. Antimony is called antimony. Till date there is no one prepared that antimony from. Method they have prepared via. Liquid exploitation, PVD and some other things but now we can prepare we are depression method which give you. Physical capacitance and we have used a binder less.

You emphasized why antimonene's not just another 2D material and how your method offers binderless fabrication, which undergraduates can relate to through the basics of supercapacitors and energy storage. Switching gears a bit, guiding student projects is a big part of this role. Could you share an example of how you've mentored a student or junior researcher—maybe in the lab or on a research paper—and what approach you took to help them grow?

Binder free system that. Because usually in supercapacitor they will be using yeah?

Right, most supercapacitors use a binder, so your binder-free system is a pretty significant change. When you guided a student or junior colleague working on this binder-free approach, what specific strategies did you use to ensure they actually understood the underlying science and not just the experimental steps?

Yeah, it is a good question actually what how it will be happening was in binder free and binder question. First I will teach how to make a slurry for energy storage system. In slurry there will be binder why they will be using. Went was to attach. To adhere to the surface but here boundary system, what we will be doing means we will be directly quoting the material. Like how the car has been Electro deposited, like paint has been Electro deposited, like that we are directly quoting which doesn't have any better. It won't create any active dead active. How I will be teaching them was. Uh, I will be taking two material with binder and binder less and I will be putting in an alcohemistry and check how it is peeling out, how the physical capacitance are changing like real time explanation. I can teach them. And moreover, for teaching a junior students, I first I will be giving them a confidence that in which direction they don't know in which direction to move on. So first I will say that what they needed, what they are actually eager. From their eagerness, I will take how it can be moved out.

So you actually bring students into direct comparison experiments—showing them the binder versus binder-free results hands-on. That kind of concrete demonstration usually sticks with people. Last thing on this section, Dr.—when you're evaluating students in the lab or on exams, how do you make sure your assessments actually capture their understanding of both theory and practical skills, rather than just rote memorization?

Instruct because how I can evaluate the student was? First I will think how eager, how interest and how energetic they are in that field. For example, if you take some people, they will be coming, they will mug it and they will be right, whatever in the book.

That kind of people no need of in the research field. We need a people to think in a different.

Right, you focus on their actual engagement and interest rather than just memorization, which feels important for research-driven fields. When it comes to written exams versus practical lab assessments,

Alright, Dr., let's shift to your research productivity and funding vision. Given your work in low-dimensional materials for energy storage, where do you see the most fundable research directions over the next few years? Which agencies or grants would you target to sustain and grow your research group?

In in order to return examine.

You were starting to say something about return exams, but just before that, I'd asked about where you see the most fundable research directions in your field and which grants or agencies you'd target. Can you go into detail on that?

Actually I will be focusing on grants like CSIR, SUB and an RF because they will be giving you a recent development grant Since I am not developing a lab they will be providing me. Development Fund and their leading research.

See grandfather, they will be giving and I will be mainly focusing on clean energy system. Yeah, now.

Alright, so you're targeting CSIR, SERB, and NRF for development grants, especially since you're still setting up your lab. Suppose your initial grant proposal doesn't get funded—what's your backup plan to keep research moving and maintain momentum with your students?

Alright, Dr., let's talk about teaching—specifically, going beyond the standard lecture. Imagine you're teaching a group of 150 undergraduates an introduction to low-dimensional materials. You can't use slides, and you want everyone actively involved. How would you design that session to make sure students are really engaging with the material, not just sitting and listening?

I have a DSD funded project for. 2 two years.

Okay, Dr., let's shift to something a bit different. Accreditation cycles can really test a department. If you joined our team and noticed that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses, how would you approach fixing that?

Mm-hmm.

Inconsistent across courses. How I will be fixing was first I will be. Like focusing on what the need. What next two years? Going towards. For example, now we are going towards an AI, so how we can integrate AI with a machine, machine learning. So I will explain this to the commitment committee members and to the staff which you who are seniors and I will explain to them how we can make the students and move towards them. And I will be asking their guidance how we can improve and we can have a group meetings and discuss and collaborately we can improve this. Next generation kids, what they needed and how they can be really focused and how they can really help. For societies that kind of them for for example, we they need to get a job in a big. Big environment. OK. That is the mainly focus for that, what technology is now? Needed that one. We will be focusing by arranging a meeting with the committee members and we will be seeing with industrial collaboration also they will be. Say some requirements according to that we will be reorganize the syllabus and we will be teaching them. It is a step by step process so that we have to involve.

So you're thinking about bringing together committee input, senior faculty,

Next.

Professor, imagine this scenario: a colleague invites you to co-author a paper, but you notice some of their experimental data looks questionable. How would you approach that situation?

I will ask that colleague to change that one. Otherwise I will ask whether it can be correct on their perspective. Then I will say my perspective it is wrong. Or not and we will be having a healthy conversation. If the conversation is not satisfied for me, then I will be asking that, uh. Guide. So OK, you go with your, uh, paper. No need of that paper. I will be with Rhonda. I I will be strong in my point If it is correct. If it is, if I improve, if I.

I will ask that colleague to change that one. Otherwise I will ask whether it can be correct on their perspective. Then I will say my perspective it is wrong. Or not and we will be having a healthy conversation. If the conversation is not satisfied for me, then I will be asking that, uh. Guide. So OK, you go with your, uh, paper. No need of that paper. I will be with Rhonda.

So you'd have a direct conversation, and if you can't resolve it, you'd step away from the paper entirely. What if your department head pushes you to stay on as a co-author anyway,

Professor, given your background in Embedded Systems and Communication, do you have any current or past industry connections that could help translate into internship or placement opportunities for students?

Yeah, now I am actually working on an industry collaborated system of fuel cell with three electrode store in Hosur. And one of the project has been in Korea. And they are mainly focusing on integration of both fuel cell and energy storage. So I can send the student from here to there as an intern and they will be training. Once they will be satisfied there and they will be actually. There and regarding that co-author point. This thing if my head is asked me to be. In the paper, then I will be convincing my colleague that since my colleague, he will be understanding that I will be make sure that understand to change the point until, uh, how we can change how we can modify. After that, only we will be submitting even though my. Head pushed Summit. As such, I will. Staying with my own point. Because it lead. Giving bad name for reputations and as well as the university. So after changing only we will be submitting the paper.

You mentioned sending students to industry for hands-on training—let’s talk about your ability to teach both theory and lab courses. Suppose you’re designing a lab for an embedded systems class with limited equipment and a large group. How would you make sure every student gets meaningful practical experience, even with those constraints?

Then I for example, you keep that it is like 60 people. Only 20 people can do an experiment. Another 40 people cannot do any experiment. Then I will be split into three groups. 20 group for the embedded system, 20 group to design the circuit and 20 group to research on the application. Because embedded system alone cannot like a system which can be embedded to some hardware and. OK. So some student need to focus on some application, for example regenerative braking systems. That regenerative braking system how the Super capacity is integrated with? Regenerative braking for that some embedded systems should be needed and should be programmed. That programming design I will give to 20 members and that application how the regenerative will be working I will ask 20 members to read that one and the meantime 20 members I will be giving a practical. Demonstration. How it is working?

Alright, so you'd split the students into groups and let some focus on programming, some on circuit design, and others on researching applications like regenerative braking with supercapacitors. If one of those groups gets stuck on the programming part and can't get the embedded system to communicate with the hardware, how would you help them troubleshoot without just handing them the solution?

I give you what will be handled that solution was I will be giving them the answer. But in indirect manner. For example, if it is like a. Uh, the answer be like in physics. For some point. We can say that so that they will be regained that one, and they will be. Rectify by themselves because. They are searching their answer from the website or something and they are learning by themselves. Then it won't be forgotten for them, so I will be. Playing the answer, but it won't be it directly to them so that they can directly do it. They have to think on the process and they can catch that point. If they catch that point, they will. If they can't catch the point, I will give one more day so that they will go. Go home and then next day if they come and get the answer then it will be more painful for them. Like that manner I will be handling.

Alright, so you try to guide students without giving direct answers, encouraging them to struggle a bit and figure things out on their own. Shifting gears—clear communication is key, especially in a big class or a seminar. Can you give me one example of a time when a student or colleague misunderstood something you taught, and how you clarified it so everyone was on the same page?

I will be calling them the. I will be. Asking what the doubt it was. And how they have understand that things and. I will ask others students. How they have understand? Why? And I will ask them why you have understand this day. And I will ask the correct student why you have understand this way. By saying that both of them they must interact with each other and they must be knowing that what? Way they have understand so that it will be more helpful for them to understanding the next chapter also. Like that manner I will beat it.

So you bring everyone into the discussion to surface where the misunderstanding happened and let students hear different perspectives directly from each other. Now, thinking about student evaluation—if you suspect a few students are copying during exams, but you don't have hard proof, how would you handle that situation?

I will be first call. Call that students. And ask why you have been copying and they will be saying that. They have some **** problem so that I didn't learn so I am copying for the exam but I will be make sure every student to understand the concept. Because copying I will be explaining them. Copying won't be here. Cool, that will be lecture to them. But anyhow practical demonstration I will be trying to provide them and. Get out of. Copying habit from that one. From the students. That's the way.

Okay, so you'd pull those students aside for a conversation and try to address the root of why they're copying, then focus on helping them actually learn the material. Let's shift to your research background for a moment—can you talk about one of your recent image processing projects? What was your main technical challenge, and how did you overcome it?

Recently have you? Using a triboantronics. Triboentronics is nothing but triboelectric nanogenerator integrated with. Some electrochemical. Field effect transistors.

For some. Kind of sensor kind of thing you know tribal electronic nano generator is evolving now and it has a high outcome as a harvester, but it.

For some. Kind of sensor kind of thing you know tribal electronic nano generator is evolving now and it has a high outcome as a harvester, but it. Yeah.

You brought up triboelectric nanogenerators integrated with electrochemical field effect transistors—that's a pretty advanced topic. What was the toughest part about processing or analyzing the image data for that research, especially in terms of noise or signal interference?

Okay, so you're saying the triboelectric nanogenerator is still evolving and there's a lot of potential, especially as a power harvester. When it comes to teaching the theoretical concepts behind this kind of emerging tech, how do you break down something so new and complex for students who might not have the background yet?

Okay, so you're working with triboelectric nanogenerators as sensors—let's get more concrete. Can you walk me through a specific image processing technique you actually used in that project, like edge detection or noise reduction? What tools or algorithms did you use, and how did you implement them?

Yeah, actually in Roy's direction, I have used Tupac capacitor. Noise filter. As a noise reduction AC line filtering filter, I have used you regarding you asked about tribal electronic, nano generator and transistor triboelectronic and the nano generator has. Impedance. It cannot be implemented in all applications. So I have integrated with uh. Transistor transistor we have. Accept that high impedance and it can be worked directly to the any photo detector application I have worked. Now the transistor you know know the transistor has the. You need to give an extra get old. That gate voltage is provided by the triboelectric nano generator, which can be created by biomechanical force. All the system will be. We have silk forward system. You no need to power any storage system, you no need to occur there. So it can be used as an. Photodirector system, it is the whole system we are using. And regarding the noise filter you asked, I have prepared. Filtering using corpine. It has been published in small which where we have used. For a noise filter.

High frequency noise we have reduced using a supercapacitor which will be working under up. 10,000 which is. Report till now after.

So you used a Tupac capacitor as a noise filter for your image processing, and published those results in Small. Let's switch gears for a second—can you tell me about a time you had to structure and deliver a complex lecture or seminar to a diverse group of students,

Alright, so you managed to reduce high frequency noise using a supercapacitor up to ten thousand hertz, which is a pretty impressive number. In your experience teaching both theory and lab courses, how do you make sure students who struggle with the hands-on components still stay engaged and learn effectively?

I will be teaching bit by bit. I I need to be so person to them and I will be teach bit by bit so that they will understand each other because one faculty response is to. The student need to be understand each and every bit so I will be taking and I will be giving hands on training to them individually and given UH. Real time explanation so that he will be engaging more. He is already engaging and he will be understanding more. Like fun activity I will do.

Actually I will be giving a real. Problem statement. For real time problem question, for example if you take energy storage system, I won't ask them what is super capacitors, What is the physical capacitance formula? What is the basic behind that? I will ask why the counter ions? Are impacting the supercapacitor Because previously I have teach them Because previously I have teach them. OK, let's consider one example. One student is doing his second year PhD. And he's doing some outdated experiment. And which has been which has been no hope now to publish in a high impact then I will call that student and I will be speaking how what are the emergence of the field now it is coming. How we can improve it is and what is the emergent field? If you go, it will be more. I will be make. Them to interest in that field so that they will be thinking that this field is very good, we have to move on and how to shift from. This is to that field I will be guiding them how we can change the direction so that it will be very. Full for them to go towards. What it is standing now?

Alright, so you’ll break things down into smaller steps and keep the hands-on work interactive with demonstrations and even fun activities. Now thinking about student evaluation and exam-related responsibilities, how do you design your exams or assessments to make sure they’re fair and actually measure what students have learned—not just their ability to memorize?

Actually I will be giving a real. Problem statement. For real time problem question, for example if you take energy storage system, I won't ask them what is super capacitors, What is the physical capacitance formula? What is the basic behind that? I will ask why the counter ions?

So you'll design questions that require students to apply concepts to real-world scenarios, not just recall definitions or formulas. Thinking bigger picture, when you're guiding student research projects or theses,

Right, so if a student’s working on an outdated topic you’ll call them in, talk through what’s cutting-edge in the field, and help them redirect toward something with more potential for impact and publication. Let’s talk about your approach to clear communication—when you have to explain a dense topic, like the integration of triboelectric nanogenerators and transistors, to a room full of undergrads, how do you structure your delivery so the main points actually land?

Actually 55 we split this into Tribal Academy. Generator and transistor I won't. Do the both the thing in the same point. 1st for triboelectric nano generator I will be asked the student to walk in a. OK, he will be wearing some shoe or slipper and floor will have some mat or something and I will be giving a. Real time demonstration on walking how it is electrostatic discharge, electrostatic interference is happening and electrostatic induction is happening how the voltage is generating so that the total. Undergraduate student like 60 student will be. Like tapping their leg on the floor like wooden floor or something and they will be like if generating some voltage. They will be very interesting in that way. I will be explaining the triboelectric nano generator on transistor point of view. I will be keeping 2. People here like source and drain. And how the channel is traveling like a bridge, how the one car is traveling from here like giving accelerator when you are giving. Voltage to the gate the car will be moving so that electron will be moving from so. To get real time explanation I will give them so that undergraduate student will. Easily understanding After understanding each concept like transistor and Tripoli nanogenerator I will be. Saying they are a disadvantage and how it why they cannot be implemented and ask the student how it can be implemented. They will come with various solution how to integrate because they will be thinking on different perspective and different language. Different app. Proportional that will give you. More idea compared to our thinking, because we are. To that how to integrate we already know but they don't know so that it will be giving new concept to them.

Actually 55 we split this into Tribal Academy. Generator and transistor I won't. Do the both the thing in the same point. 1st for triboelectric nano generator I will be asked the student to walk in a. OK, he will be wearing some shoe or slipper and floor will have some mat or something and I will be giving a. Real time demonstration on walking how it is electrostatic discharge, electrostatic interference is happening and electrostatic induction is happening how the voltage is generating so that the total. Undergraduate student like 60 student will be. Like tapping their leg on the floor like wooden floor or something and they will be like if generating some voltage. They will be very interesting in that way. I will be explaining the triboelectric nano generator on transistor point of view. I will be keeping 2. People here like source and drain. And how the channel is traveling like a bridge, how the one car is traveling from here like giving accelerator when you are giving. Voltage to the gate the car will be moving so that electron will be moving from so. To get real time explanation I will give them so that undergraduate student will. Easily understanding After understanding each concept like transistor and Tripoli nanogenerator I will be. Saying they are a disadvantage and how it why they cannot be implemented and ask the student how it can be implemented. They will come with various solution how to integrate because they will be thinking on different perspective and different language. Different app. Proportional that will give you. More idea compared to our thinking, because we are. To that how to integrate we already know but they don't know so that it will be giving new concept to them. So that we can get new idea from them also.

So you'll break the topic into two parts, use hands-on demonstrations like walking on a mat to show triboelectric effects, and then use simple analogies for transistors—basically making it engaging and letting students generate their own integration ideas. Shifting gears, Dr., could you briefly describe your doctoral specialization and how it directly connects to the courses or research you'd be expected to lead in this role?

So you'll split up the dense technical topics, use real-life demonstrations, analogies, and get the students actively involved so even complicated ideas stick. On the practical side, when you're running a lab session with limited equipment or time, how do you ensure every student still gets enough hands-on experience to actually master the techniques?

It will be a little bit difficult. Because the time will be like 3 hours, it cannot be fully so will have construction will be like week.

Weekly is our trip. So I will be make sure that. 10 to 20 students.

Weekly is our trip. So I will be make sure that. 10 to 20 students. Yeah.

So you’re saying with a three-hour lab window, it’s tough to get every student full hands-on time, especially with constraints like equipment availability.

Alright, so you keep the lab groups pretty small, around ten to twenty students, to maximize hands-on time each week. When it comes to exam-related responsibilities, how do you ensure your assessment methods are transparent and students understand exactly what’s expected of them?

Alright, you mentioned keeping lab groups small each week, ten to twenty students. Can you give me a specific example of how you’d structure a lab session so every student actually gets to practice the technique themselves, not just watch?

Just I will be call before going to the lab.

Will take all the student to the classroom and if it is like. Peoples are there. I will be teaching the concept. What? Today you are going. And I will be giving up. Prototype.

Got it, Dr. We're at the end of our conversation. Is there anything you'd like to ask about the role or the team before we wrap up?

So you'd start in the classroom, teach the concept, and then give out a prototype before heading to the lab. If you have any questions about the Assistant Professor (Research) role or the team, feel free to ask now.

What kind of role I have to take on there in vit? Whether it will be like teaching focused? Or I can get some initial fun from the VIT. Infrastructure so that I. And go on my work. Without some. Delay for example if. After joining in a bit, if I got some delay for two to six months, then my publication will be stopped and everything will be delayed for one year. So. How you? Can be. Giving enough opportunity so that my reputations and my publication won't affect in the way that I am.