Dr.G.Viswanathan - Chancellor

Dr. G.V, the founder-chancellor of VIT University, was born on December 8, 1938 in a remote village near Vellore in Tamil Nadu. Dr. GV’s life is a source of inspiration to the aspiring youth.

Dr. G.V − The Student

Dr. GV completed Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2003, nearly four decades after his University education, reaffirming his fervour in being an eternal student. He excelled in academics right from his childhood. His early education was confined to his small village where he studied in Tamil - his mother tongue. His pre-university education at Voorhees College, Vellore initiated him to the world outside. From there he moved on to obtain his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Economics from the prestigious Loyola College, Chennai. Following this, he graduated in Law from Madras Law College.

Dr. G.V − The Leader of the People

A student leader in his twenties entering Indian parliament was something incredible, especially in 1960s. But it was Dr. GV who championed people’s issues in the parliament and they, in turn, reposed faith in the leader who fulfilled their expectations. They re-elected him by a bigger margin in the next election for another five-year term. He travelled to different parts of the world as a member of parliamentary delegations and appreciated issues in a global perspective. Dr. GV wanted to play a bigger role in the provincial politics in order to make a direct contribution in bettering the lives of the people in the region. He was elected to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for ten years. During this period, he served as a Minister for two years.

Dr. G.V − The Educator

Dr. G. Viswanathan founded Vellore Engineering College in 1984 at Vellore. He envisioned that this Institution would offer World-Class Education to students who would in turn create an indelible impact on the society. The engineering college that started with an intake of 180 students in 1984 has evolved as a university with four campuses. Over 25,000 students are enrolled in 53 undergraduate and graduate programs with nearly 16,000 residing on the campus. It attracts students and professors from different parts of the world. It houses more than 1000 international students on campus. For the past two years, VIT University has been ranked #1 private engineering institution in India. ISO Certification from Holland, International accreditation from the United Kingdom and USA, and the highest accreditation grade from the Government of India reflect the University’s penchant for excellence on all fronts.

Dr. G.V − The Institution

Due to his passion for societal development and compassion for the underprivileged, Dr. GV has launched several schemes for uplifting the women and unemployed youth in the region to help them become self-reliant. He offers scholarships to students from disadvantaged sections of the society to enable them to pursue higher education. He has established the Universal Higher Education Trust to create opportunities for higher education to every deserving student in the region. He has adopted several villages with the motto of improving the quality of lives of the rural people. His vision of transforming Vellore into a greener and cooler town by planting one million saplings has begun to yield fruit. Dr.GV’s farsightedness extends beyond horizons.

Sankar Viswanathan Vice - President (AP Campus)

Sankar Viswanathan, Vice President (AP Campus) was born on 13th April 1966. He completed his Advanced Diploma in Engineering Technology, at Chisholm Institute, Melbourne, Australia.He has held honoured positions as the Chairman, and Vice-Chairman of Vellore Engineering College, Vellore before taking over charge as the Pro-Chancellor (Academic) at VIT. He has also served as the Secretary of the North Arcot Educational & Charitable Trust of Vellore.

He has always been a very proactive person and has played a key role in all the activities of the University. He has always evinced a keen involvement with the VIT family. He is an active member of the Board of Management, VIT and displays a keen interest in the affairs of the college and being a student friendly person is avidly interested in the academic progress of the students and staff.

He has travelled extensively and gained valuable experience from his tours to USA, Australia, Singapore, Italy, China, Greece, Malaysia, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Syria and Rwanda. He is an active member of the Australian engineers Association in Melbourne. His hobbies include playing tennis, cricket, cooking and surfing the net.

Dr. Sekar Viswanathan Vice-President, Vellore Campus

Dr. Sekar Viswanathan epitomises the vision, vibrant spirit and energy that has helped in establishing VIT as a premiere institute in the country. Dr. Sekar has over 27 years of experience in the industry and academics. He was a rank holder in Electronics and Communication Engineering from University of Madras. He received his Master’s degree in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, USA. He has a Ph.D., in the area of faculty motivation from University of Madras. During the 90s, he served as the Vice-Chairman of his alma mater, Vellore Engineering College (which was later renamed as VIT). During this period, he had launched a number of new programmes and initiatives which paved way for the university status of VIT. Later, Dr. Sekar went to USA and worked with IBM, NetClerk and Walmart.com to gain international industrial experience. Walmart.com conferred the “Best Engineering Manager” and “Best Achiever” awards on him. As VP at VIT, Dr. Sekar focuses on the university growth strategy, academic policies, international relations and placements. He has brought in numerous improvements to benefit the students including STARS (Support the Advancement of Rural Students) scheme, Fully Flexible Credit System (FFCS), Semester Abroad Programme (SAP) and Curriculum for Applied Learning (CAL). Dr. Sekar was bestowed with the prestigious Young EDGE National Award in 2012 in recognition of his innovative and useful contributions to the field of education.

G V Selvam Vice - President (Chennai Campus)

A man of few words, Mr.Selvam believes in and lives by the precept, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ Mr. G V Selvam has been associated with the institution since 1999, when he first assumed office as Vice-Chairman of Vellore Engineering College. Since then, he has been working relentlessly towards the progress of the institution. He spearheaded the elevation of Vellore Engineering College to VIT University in 2001, and became its first Pro-Chancellor. Mr. Selvam enjoys the distinction of being the youngest Pro-Chancellor of a University in the world, which has been recognized by the Limca Book of Records, 2005. He holds a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from University of Madras. Mr. Selvam became the first Vice-President of VIT Chennai in 2010, where he sculptured the campus from the scratch. The high rise structures, the lush green ambience and the ultra-modern infrastructure that adorn VIT Chennai were created within a short span of time under his able leadership. He has developed VIT Chennai campus in conformity with the standards of the Green LEED certification. He returned to VIT Vellore in 2015 as the Vice President, and continues to contribute diligently to its growth. His painstaking efforts in implementing several innovative measures have enabled VIT to emerge as an institution of international eminence. A self-motivated and industrious person, and a farsighted educationalist, Mr. G.V. Selvam possesses an innate ability to spot and nurture talent–be it with the faculty, staff or students. He offers flexible and pragmatic academic solutions not only for toppers but also for slow learners. Mr. Selvam was instrumental in introducing new and need-based programmes of study such as Law, Architecture, Hotel Management and Agriculture. He introduced the inter-university sports & cultural extravaganza, “Riviera”, which has blossomed into an acclaimed international event. He played a significant role in establishing the VIT Technology Business Incubator (VITTBI), which has received national acclaim for its service to budding entrepreneurs. The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development and Research Studies [CSRD&RS] is the brainchild of Mr. Selvam. The centre is working towards providing urban facilities in rural areas to enhance the living conditions in villages, which would develop the rural folk on par with the urban people in terms of education and employability. A man with a deep passion for nature, Mr. G V Selvam takes immense interest in green initiatives. The lush green, self-sustaining, VIT campuses in Vellore and Chennai are examples of his efforts to adorn the spaces with natural beauty. He is the brain behind the Green Vellore Project, which has added green cover to the rocky and barren landscape of Vellore, and the Clean Palar Project, which is taking measures to restore the Palar river bed to its original texture. He is passionate about transforming Vellore into a clean, green and nature-rich city. Mr. Selvam is inspired and guided by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s principle: “A leader must have vision and passion, and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.”

Dr. Sandhya Pentareddy Executive Director (Vellore Campus)

Dr. Sandhya has given more than 27 years to product development, engineering management and higher education administration at USA and India. Having started her career as a software engineer, she directed large scale product development. She was instrumental in growing certain start-ups and subsidiaries of multi-national companies in USA & India. She is best known for building high performance teams and effective products. She worked for organizations well known for their excellence including Intuit, WalMart, Yodlee Inc., IBM and VIT.

She has been associated with VIT since 1986 as a student, teacher and administrator. She headed the computer applications department of VIT, when it was known as Vellore Engineering College, and has introduced the first entrance examinations at VIT.

She had served as a special officer and advisor. She was instrumental in establishing the VIT-AP University. She currently devotes her time to the strategic and operational leadership at VIT.

She has also contributed to research in business management through her work on complexity of leadership and other publications.

She firmly believes in compassion, continuous improvement, taking pride in one’s work and making learning a joy.

Dr. ANAND A. SAMUEL - Vice Chancellor

Dr. Anand A Samuel completed his Bachelors in Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy and went on to pursue his Masters in IIT Madras and his Ph.D., in Anna University. His wide array of experience includes a couple of years of service in the Industry and more than 20 years of teaching experience in Anna University. He has been a part of VIT for the past 13 years and he has been the Vice- Chancellor since 2015. He is a recipient of Life Time Achievement Award from QCFI. He has published more than 90 research papers in Journals and Conferences, written a book on Total Quality Management, completed 5 funded research projects and has organised more than 20 Faculty Development Programmes in VIT.

Professional Credentials :

• Former Regional Director – ISHRAE
• Former Executive Committee Member – ASHRAE
• Former Secretary – QCFI, Chennai
• ‘Master Trainer’ – certified by ISTE, New Delhi.
• ‘Quality Lead Assessor’ – certified by BSI, UK
• Recipient of Life Time Achievement Award from QCFI
• Published more than 90 research papers in Journals and Conferences
• Written a book on Total Quality Management
• Completed 5 funded research projects
• Organized more than 20 Faculty Development Programmes
• Active member in the Board of NGOs such as BAF, FES, FMPB, MUT, etc.,
• Member in professional bodies such as ISTE, CI, SAE, ISHRAE, ASHRAE etc.,
• Co-ordinating committee member in NAAC, 2006
• Conducted more than 100 Training Programmes for working professionals on various leadership topics.

Dr. S. Narayanan - Pro-Vice Chancellor

Dr. S. Narayanan received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, Masters and Doctorate in Industrial Engineering and Management from Pondicherry University. With nearly 33 years of teaching experience, 14 years of research experience and 2 years of industrial experience, he has contributed more than 130 research papers in various Scopus Indexed Journals. His areas of interest include Industrial Engineering and Management, Manufacturing etc., 15 Scholars have been awarded Ph.D under his guidance and he has provided guidance for more than 20 M.Tech student projects. He is currently guiding 2 Ph.D scholars. He has delivered many Invited Talks and Guest Lectures at National and International levels and has authored three books. With the keen interest to promote and develop research, he has organized many International and National Conferences like 22nd CARS & FOF, 21st AIMTDR, GCMM, and ICAMB 2009 and various Workshops, Seminars etc., He has received many awards and honors for his visionary service which include "Cognizant - VIT Best faculty award", "VIT's Best HOD award" etc., With his rich academic and industrial experience, he has been instrumental in executing more than 10 Sponsored Research and consultancy projects funded by various funding agencies like DST, DRDL and EU - Asian Link Programme. He is also the Co-ordinator for FIST- DST project and Co - coordinator for TIFAC Core established in VIT University, funded by Department of Science and Technology. He played a key role in the following accreditation processes: National Board of Accreditation (NBA), Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Energy Institute ( EI), UK and ABET, USA. He is a Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India) and member in various professional societies like ASME, ISTE and IIPE.

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Dr. K. Sathiyanarayanan - Registrar

Dr. K. Sathiyanarayanan is a Graduate in Chemistry (Madurai Kamaraj University), Post Graduate in Chemistry (Annamalai University) and Ph.D., in Physical Organic Chemistry in Annamalai University. He has been a part of teaching, research, training and consultancy at VIT since 1994. He held various positions like First year coordinator, Professor in-charge of Library, Chief Warden, Dean of School of Advanced Sciences and School of Social Sciences and Languages. He was instrumental in bringing DST-FIST project for procuring NMR instrument. He has completed 3 funded projects funded by DRDO, IGCAR and Whirlpool. He has done Post Doctoral research in Brain Pool Scheme in Korea Electro Technology Research Institute in electro chemistry. He has produced 6 doctorates and 6 Ph.D scholars are pursuing their research under his supervision. His research areas include Asymmetric Synthesis, OLED materials and TADF materials. He is having wide research collaboration with Professors at Italy, Japan and Lithuania. He is having 90 publications to his credit. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and an active member of American Chemical Society. His responsibility includes teaching and Administration.