People

As a Senior Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Dr. S. Mohan has built a strong Research group on “Functional Thin films” during the last three decades. He has published several high impact research papers in international journals and successfully executed prestigious R&D interdisciplinary projects. 

With a harmonious combination of basic Physics and applied Engineering aspects of Instrumentation and exposure to technology requirements, Dr. Mohan has been successful in the development of new processes and fabrication of devices for Strategic and Industrial applications in Functional Thin Films, Surface Engineering, Photonics, Solar Energy, Sensors, Micro and NanoSystems.

He has been a member of a number of coveted committees at the national level for various Government agencies. And, in this capacity, he has been involved in designing national policies on Research and Technology Development; spearheaded the formation of networks between academic institutions, industries, and funding agencies. He has also been in charge of allocating research grants during this period.

His Specialties include – Functional Thin Films, Micro and Nano Systems, Surface Engineering, Technology Creation and Commercialisation, Industry-Academia-Government Networking, Coordination of National and International R&D programs, among others. 

Leonie Marinovich is an outstanding multimedia journalist of global repute. She is currently working on a documentary project about long-term survivors of HIV from both the United States of America and Africa. Over the last two decades, she has focused on highlighting critical issues pertaining to social justice and public health through various mediums.

Leonie commenced her professional journey in still photography after moving on from an information technology career. Thereafter, she returned to South Africa and established herself documenting lives both ordinary and extraordinary. And incorporated shooting and producing documentary films into her work.

She produced pathbreaking films in the documentary world and collaborated with marquee clients such as the Financial Times and GEO. Some of her multimedia projects that created global significance in terms of scope and impact include 1.5 million and Me (2019-2020); A Journey of Motherhood(2013-2015); and The Story of Water in the Orange–Senqu River Basin (2021-2013). She has also captured video and still photographs for international organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Bechtel, to name a few.

Since 2017 she has been a Senior Lecturer, Guest Lecturer, and Teaching Fellow of Digital Photography at Harvard Extension School. As a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Summer School, she has designed and continues to teach ‘Introduction to Digital Photography’. She has served as a Substitute Lecturer at Boston University. As a Guest Lecturer and Trip Leader at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT D-lab , she collaborated with engineering students to design low-cost solutions for marginalized communities. And, accompanied the student team to Botswana for fieldwork.

Leonie is an avid storyteller and in the last two decades, she has founded multiple digital platforms to capture her creative discoveries. Marinovich Photography Workshops, Hekaya Digital Storytelling, and Nala Trust are some of the ventures through which she was able to create a significant impact. 

Regarded by some as among the most talented visual artists of her generation, Leonie has secured a growing international reputation for her work. From 1996-2000, she was the Global Account Manager at NewsEdge. Here, she was accountable for the implementation and roll-out of global content solutions for Fortune 500 companies. She served as a Strategist and Web Designer at Thestandglobal.com; a consultant for The Daily Maverick where she designed and implemented a Digital Asset Management system for the newsroom. She was invited to serve as an Artist-in-Residence by Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she was in charge of curating narratives, processes, and experiences based on architectonics and data visualization.

Leonie Marinovich holds a BA in Urbanology from the University of the Free State, South Africa.

Greg Marinovich is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and co-author of The Bang Bang Club (Basic Books, 2001) – a compelling record of South Africa’s transition to democracy. He has also authored, Murder at Small Koppie (Penguin, 2016) which was based on his investigations into the Marikana massacre of miners by police. Greg was awarded the Alan Paton prize for non-fiction in 2017 for this piece. He has spent twenty-five years doing conflict, documentary, and news photography around the globe. And has received several accolades such as the Nat Nakasa award for courageous journalism.

Greg is the Associate Editor at The Daily Maverick and the co-founder and editor of a global documentary and photojournalism agency, The Stand Global. He is currently a Lecturer at Harvard Extension School where he teaches photojournalism, Documentary, & Art Photography to students. He is also teaching a graduate course in advanced photography at Harvard University. And is associated with  Boston University as a Master Lecturer at the College of Communication.

Greg served as one of the coveted jury members of the World Press Photo in 1994 and 2005. His photographs have been featured across global media platforms such as Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, to name a few.  He has worked on a wide gamut of documentary films. And has contributed as a freelance journalist to reputed media platforms such as Bloomberg, Geo Magazine, and Associated Press. He was the editor-in-chief of the Twenty Ten Project, he managed over 100 journalists and trainers across a bevy of media platforms. Leading up to the coverage of the first African FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Greg holds a Nieman Fellow from Harvard University. He is currently appointed as the Director of Hekaya Digital Storytelling – a network that connects storytellers across various disciplines to work together in documenting stories from Africa. He also co-owns Story Taxi and Silver Halide Publishing – a pan African agency for media professionals, and a platform for independent publishers of photographic content, respectively.

Greg has played an instrumental role in designing a signature course on The Fundamentals of Digital Photography. Through the course, he looks forward to introducing students to digital photography through a wide gamut of photographic genres. Enabling them to strengthen their visual acumen and broaden their STEM experience. 

Dr. Viraj Kumar is a visiting Professor at IISc Bangalore and the Chair of ACM India’s Special Interest Group for CS Education (iSIGCSE). He has a keen interest in Computer Science pedagogy, with an emphasis on developing software tools for educational purposes. 

In collaboration with Microsoft Research India, Dr. Viraj Kumar is developing content and assessment strategies for Massively Empowered Classrooms. This project aims to provide instructors with high-quality course content that can be freely modified to suit a particular instructor’s purpose. Thus, unlike MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), MEC aims to empower instructors by giving them a strong foundation in terms of content and organization. Also, in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Dr. Kumar is developing serious games for teaching concepts in Mathematics to school students. In addition, Dr. Kumar is actively developing industry-academia partnerships to give PES University students opportunities to work with companies and research labs in the area of Technology for Education.

Dr. Kumar has served in the Karnataka Knowledge Commission Task group on Educational Technology (2014-15), and is an organizer for the annual IEEE Technology for Education (T4E) conference. He has held faculty positions at NIIT University (Rajasthan, India), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois, USA), and the College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts, USA). 

He holds MS and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additionally, he also holds an M.Sc. in Applied Statistics and Informatics from IIT-Bombay, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.

Karthick is currently Professor of Practice at AU. He is also a “Fellow” with the Principal Scientific Advisor’s office, Govt. of India. Karthick is currently on a 2-year sabbatical from Ashok Leyland, where he was the Senior Vice President & Head of their eMobility Business and Technology.

At IITM, he is developing and launching different multi-disciplinary Programs in eMobility- as well as initiating various Projects jointly across Academia-Industry-Govt. He is also deeply involved with the Govt. of India, Industry Associations and Academia to improve eMobility-related R&D, Skilling and Innovation.

With the PSA’s office as a Fellow, he had helped the Govt. of India develop cutting edge, unique and innovative Charging Standards to suit the Indian context for e2Wheelers and eBuses. He is currently in the process of preparing a detailed R&D and Technology RoadMap for eMobility in India to help the country achieve leadership position in the medium term.

At Ashok Leyland, he has handled projects like the eMobility, Captain Cab, Sunshine School Bus, Circuit eBus and the HyBus Hybrid Bus. He was the Chief Engineer for Buses, Cabs & Load Bodies and also managed the Product Development for Optare- Leyland’s subsidiary in the UK- world pioneers in Electric & Hybrid Buses.

In his earlier role as the Head of Global Bus Platform, he was instrumental is recasting the Global Bus Portfolio of the company, targetting new markets, trends and segments. As the Head of AL’s eMobility Business he has been in the forefront of electrification of Commercial Vehicles in India- helping AL win many awards in the eMobility space for Innovation.

Before joining Ashok Leyland, for the previous 15+ years, Karthick was a successful entrepreneur and had promoted, developed, managed and sold three businesses in the Die Making, Product Engineering and IT domains.

Karthick is interested in Travel and Wildlife and is proud of his association with the Ashok Leyland team that recently developed, for & during the COVID crisis, a value Respirator for First Mile use and non-critical care.

Janani Eswar is a social entrepreneur who is passionate about connecting nature-connected communities, especially for children. As she joins the Atria University team as a Visiting Faculty, we excitedly look forward to the unique learning adventures she will create for our students. Please join us in welcoming her to our academic team.

Janani works through experiential education, play, and active learning pedagogies to encourage students to explore environmental education through the lens of personal relationships. In 2016, she founded Growing In Nature (GRIN) that creates opportunities for children to connect to nature for happy and healthy futures. She has also been working with over 60 different educational institutions including Azim Premji University and the University of Minnesota in implementing educational programs in relation to environmental education.

Homeschooled from an early age, Janani’s interests and knowledge extend across business studies, psychology, communication skills, naturalist studies, theater, fine arts, photography, among other subjects.

An educator. An ecologist. A social entrepreneur. Dr. Siddharth Bharath is a multi-faceted academician who is motivated about transforming education, environmental justice, and culture. We are thrilled to welcome him as an Assistant Professor, Basic Sciences, and Academic Coordinator at Atria University.

Along with his training as a quantitative and field ecologist, Dr. Bharath has worked as a community organizer in academia to embed science within social and personal narratives. He is excited to grow these ideas in the unique educational context of Atria University. He also co-founded Sampoorna Ahara, a social enterprise that delivers health-promoting food in Bengaluru.

Dr. Bharath holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota, USA. He completed his BS and MS from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune. He has also explored learning and doing in feminist studies, history of science, and science education.

After having studied chemistry in Dresden (Germany) and Strasbourg (France) from 2009 to 2016, Ludwig Rehnolt has been teaching young people in mathematics and chemistry to prepare them for university. He is engaged in creating an environment for the especially talented and interested students that enables them to go beyond the standard curriculum. For him motivation is the key to successful education.

Preeti is a social anthropologist. She finished her doctoral studies at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She believes that life should be lived with an open mind where one is always willing to learn, unlearn, question and explore. Preeti will be teaching the course Appreciating Difference and Ethics at Atria.

What excites Preeti about this course is that it is a great opportunity to work with young minds to enable them to undertake journeys to investigate themselves, the world they live in and how our cultures condition us. Since the course is currently underway, Preeti is looking forward to their explorations in the field and how these trips in turn will become an opportunity for them to reflect and transform.

Sufian is a passionate Technologist and Educator, completely driven by the motivation to help students explore their technical strengths and build a career of their liking. He has been doing this for almost a decade now and his international education and work experience only strengthens his mission to bridge the Industry-Academia gap. He works closely with organisations such as Amazon, ARM, Microsoft, GitHub and institutions worldwide in enabling students of Atria to learn from the best minds and have access to a plethora of resources available to students.

After a long career in higher education, Radha is now a practitioner and trainer of Theatre of the Oppressed (TO), a participatory theatre pedagogy widely used across the world for social and personal change. Following her training in TO at the Seattle-based Mandala Center for Change, Radha founded the Centre for Community Dialogue and Change (CCDC) in 2011. CCDC offers workshops and training across different cities in India and abroad, for diverse communities, creating spaces for dialogue on issues of importance. Radha works in the areas of education, healthcare, and mental health.

I taught a course to Atria students through ThinQ, a collective which looks to help learners develop the ability to think like mathematicians, scientists, philosophers, historians, and so on. While I have worked in all these areas, my focus has been on mathematical thinking, specifically on developing learners’ ability to construct mathematical theories.

Raghavan BV is the founder and CEO of Kannada Prasaara Parishat. He has been conducting Kannada Classes for institutions like Medical, Engineering, Nursing and various other colleges according to their needs and requirements. For over 16 years Raghavan BV has taught as an individual teacher at Bangalore Tamil Sangam. People from all walks of life attend his classes at KPP. Students, homemakers, retired persons, journalists, engineers, doctors, Central Government officers like IAS, IRS, IPS and almost all professionals, who want to learn Kannada or to improve their existing knowledge of the Kannada language & culture.

Rashmi works with ThinQ, a collective which strives to develop abilities to think, inquire and question, in learners of all ages. Her interests include understanding how our brain and mind learn something new, as well as the social and emotional aspects of learning. Outside of academic interests, she loves to cook, bake, and write.

Grown up in Tagore’s own place Santiniketan Dr. Sayantan Acharya believes in the pedagogy of interdisciplinary nature of knowledge combining both science and art.

After completing his masters in Chemistry, Dr. Acharya has completed his Ph.D. in theoretical and computational Physics in the domain of classical Newtonian dynamics. He has studied the dynamics of tiny tracers in the crowded environments. The study can be applied on varieties of systems like colloid beads in lipid tubes, nanospheres in entangled actin, biopolymer filaments or zeolites.

Dr. Acharya is currently collaborating with BCAM institute of Applied Mathematics in Spain and investigating on the non Gaussianity of the Fickian particles. His works are published in international peer reviewed publishing houses like AIP and ACS publications.

Dr. Acharya has a strong inclination to arts, especially towards Photography and Filmmaking. He was the cardholder of NCL Photography club, Film Club and creative writing club in CSIR NCL. He is one of the members of Bengal’s first audiozine ‘Ropan’.

Dr. Acharya is an independent film maker and has created or collaborated in more than 15 short films, documentaries or features. He is the co-director of Ridley Scott and Anurag Kashyap Produced “India in a Day (2016)” and “Life in a Day (2020)”. Dr. Acharya has represented India in international water summit Budapest on 2019-20 and he was an invited speaker in International TV and journalism festival to save and preserve Russia for his documentary “Geography of Drought (2018)”. He was associated and collaborated with Bluebird Moving Stories, Pune for a long time. For his international success and extensive work on Maharashtrian drought for the documentary he became a TEDx influencer in 2019.

Saurabh Mahajan is a former Assistant Professor at St. Joseph’s College and a former visiting lecturer at the University of Pune. His research and teaching interests include Microbiology, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, and he has a special affinity to conduct research with undergraduate students.

He has received numerous prestigious recognitions including the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Fellowship of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; CSIR-Junior Research Fellowship and NET qualification; Kishor Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana fellowship; and a Bronze medal in the International Biology Olympiad as part of the Indian team.

For his Ph.D.Saurabh studied how bacterial genomes evolve over hundreds of millions of years. Before that he has also researched how bacteria regulate their complex life and how neurons find each other while developing connections. Saurabh’s research combines diverse topics such as microbiology, genomics, evolution, bioinformatics, and computational biology. He is currently collaborating with experimental biologists to develop a novel platform for drug effect and toxicological screening.

Saurabh is excited about mentoring undergraduate students for research. In the recent past, he worked with a team of scientists and students to analyze data relevant to RT-PCR tests and SARS-CoV-2 mutations, and is currently mentoring AU students to analyze global data related to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Previously, Saurabh has taught courses in basic cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and advanced courses in cellular and molecular biology. He also designed new laboratory courses in bioinformatics and biostatistics and set up a computer lab for undergraduates.

Saurabh’s professional achievements include publications in scientific journals of the Biophysical Society and Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution. He also contributes as a reviewer of articles in different scientific journals.

Dr. Santanu Chakraborty brings in a decade of research and expertise in the Biological Sciences. As a biologist, he has extensive experience across multiple organismal model systems, experimental, and computational methods.

Dr. Chakraborty has a strong interest in the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge. He has worked in multiple areas of human inquiry: on mechanisms of short-term memory in neural circuits (at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), NY, USA), on the genomics of autism spectrum disorders and epigenetic imprinting in the brain (at CSHL) and on the neural mechanisms of short term memory (at CSHL and Princeton University, USA) and on the mechanisms of earthquake resistance in Himalayan structures (at IIT Roorkee), on nature of Himalayan pilgrimages and changing notions of the divine. He has often used a combination of both experimental and computational methods for his work, believing in the importance and power of an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge.

His diverse interests from before he was an undergraduate have come full circle in manners that aid him in the design of a 21st-century educational program combining the sciences, mathematics, and the arts. As an undergraduate, he worked on modern methods of earthquake resistance at IIT Bombay, an experience that came alive many years later in his more recent work on the indigenous earthquake resistant vernacular architecture of the Himalayas; in particular the traditional architecture of Uttarakhand. As a consultant to the Center for Himalayan Studies, IIT Roorkee, he uncovered innovative methods, modern in spirit, of earthquake-resistant construction in use for centuries in the Himalayan structures of Uttarakhand. Yet the ideas behind this work came to him on a trip document photographically a traditional neighborhood in Kumaon; their art, woodwork, and architecture. Embedded in that one project, that he continues work on, are ideas from a diversity of areas ranging from mathematics to history.

Dr. Chakraborty has been associated with media houses such as the Bangalore Mirror and The Hindu – Business Line, where he wrote popular articles on science and its close connections to art. Bringing important concepts, as well as, new developments to readers in an accessible Manner.

He has a strong interest in art, its role in human life, and educational potential; including the overlap of art and science as it flourished in the Renaissance and the various renascences in human history. His photographic works have been shown at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, the Jehangir Art Gallery, and the Piramal Art Gallery (National Center For Performing Arts).

Mathew George holds a Doctorate in Solar Energy (Thermal Energy Storage) from University of Malaya with a background in Mechanical Engineering. He is endlessly fascinated and passionate about learning and teaching so that a good mixture of challenge and fun is involved while attending a course. He is also a strong believer that education must provide the foundation for tackling present and future challenges faced in the community. His research interest lies in the field of Thermal Energy Storage and how it can be utilized for various thermal management challenges (buildings, solar systems, and batteries). In his spare time, likes to play and follow various sports.

Certified, Lead ISO-50001 Energy Management Systems Auditor having 9+ years of teaching experience in higher education institutions and consulting experience in the field of renewable energy and energy management. He has also worked as an Energy Consultant for various government and non-government organizations. Having expertise in curriculum design, accreditation process (NAAC), energy auditing, energy system planning and academic practices.

Ujan is an industrial product designer with a keen interest in furniture and lifestyle products as well as digital products. He has more than 4 years of experience as a product designer. He believes a good design needs no explanation and the same should be for the designer as well.

Sai is a multi-disciplinary designer and academic researcher. He is the program director of interactive technologies and design. With a background in electronics and imaging sciences, he tries to bring in the essence of technology in arts and science. His research interests are in understanding perception of design using neuroscience tools and techniques. He teaches subjects in interactive technologies, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, human computer interactions, new media tech, IOT.

Sai was one of the first in India to venture into virtual reality VR based documentary film making. Five years ago, Sai founded the AR VR Lab at his previous organization Srishti Manipal Institute, and through this lab, he facilitated many thesis projects of design and arts students in the context of interactive arts and product design. In the past, Sai worked on many professional and consultancy projects in domains like AR and VR single unit electrophysiology, eye tracking, neuro-radiology, serious gaming, interactive arts, hydroponics, experience design for retail, metaverse design and development. He likes to design small scale wind turbines and cook experimental fusion cuisines in his spare time.