Prof Nagarajan did it all: boosted alum ties, reimagined Heritage Centre & got a Mills & Boon award! | Prof. Nagarajan, IITM
Episode Summary
Chemical Engineering. IBM. IIT Heritage Centre. WAC Awards. Mills & Boon
This is not an identify-the-pattern question. It is, however, a preview of what you can look forward to in this episode of the Best Place to Build podcast. Our guest today has varied interests and has served as both an alumnus and a faculty member at IIT Madras over the years.
Join Amrut as he speaks with Professor Nagarajan about Chemical Engineering, how much Chemical engineering has to do with chemistry, the beginning of CFI that sparked the innovation ecosystem at IITM, the professor’s journey from Chemical Engineer to a published fiction writer and much more. If you have ever pictured Chemical Engineers as working in chemistry labs surrounded by pipettes and beakers or wondered what they do, this is a must-watch episode!
Amrut’s Comment
Key Highlights
[00:02:30] IIT Madras: What makes it unique among the IITs?
[00:04:27] Centre for Innovation: How does the Professor describe it?
[00:09:17] Innovation Ecosystem at IIT Madras: Is it a totally new ecosystem?
[00:13:46] Students with Entrepreneurial Mindset: Do they stand out in the classroom?
[00:15:22] The Faculty View of CFI: Has it changed over the years?
[00:18:27] Research Park and Incubation Centre: How did they come about?
[00:26:37] Alumni Connect with Alma Mater: Why is it important?
[00:31:23] The Alumni Relations Office: Fundraisers, chapters and networking
[00:37:03] Professor Nagarajan’s Journey: From love for literature to IIT Madras
[00:46:15] Chemical Engineering: Is it about chemistry, and why is it called that?
[00:52:20] Professor Nagarajan, the Author: His books and interest in writing
[00:56:56] The Heritage Centre at IIT: His part in its renovation and his passion for heritage
[01:03:11] Closing Thoughts: Professor’s review of Amrut as an interviewer
Institutions mentioned
[00:02:24] IIT Madras
[00:03:12] Professor Nagarajan was part of the team that set up the Centre For Innovation [CFI]
[00:03:17] CFI is on the ground floor of the Sudha and Shankar Innovation Hub.
[00:05:42] NIRMAAN is first of its kind dedicated pre-incubator on a college campus in the country
[00:06:31] The Gopalakrishnan and Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entreupreneurship works with STEM colleges and scientific research institutions across India to implement a 'Lab to Market' mission.
[00:18:28] The IITM Research Park was created to bring the industry ecosystem closer to IIT Madras
[00:20:04] The IITM Incubation Cell will provide students with all the support they need to be successful in their startup idea
[00:23:54] Avishkar Hyperloop which started from CFI is doing really well in terms of its progress
[00:29:30] The IIT Madras Alumni Association and the Alumni and Corporate Relations offices are the two alumni organizations in IIT Madras.
[00:30:13] Yale University is another Alma Mater of Professor Nagarajan’s
[00:30:42] Professor Nagarajan was the first Dean of International and Alumni Relations at IIT Madras
[00:38:28] Professor Nagarajan completed his Pre University year at Vivekananda College, Chennai after completing his schooling
[00:56:56] The Heritage Centre at IIT Madras was recently renovated under Professor Nagarajan’s leadership
[00:59:15] The Rehabilitation Research and Device Development Center (R2D2) at IIT Madras is currently being spotlighted in the Heritage Centre.
People mentioned
[00:03:28] Professor V.G. Idichandy was the Dean of Students when Professor Nagarajan’s batch celebrated their silver reunion.
[00:03:35] Shankar Vaidyanathan, a batchmate of Professor Nagarajan’s, submitted the proposal for funding CFI to their batch.
[00:06:39] Desh Deshpande and Kris Gopalakrishnan are IITM alumni who funded the Gopalakrishnan and Deshpande Centre at IIT Madras
[00:14:01] One of IITM alumni, Krishna Chivukula funded a satellite project at IIT Madras.
[00:14:09] Professor David Koilpillai and Professor Harishankar R were in charge of the team building the satellite
[00:18:29] Professor Ananth was the director when the IITM Research Park was created
[00:19:34] Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala was the first faculty-in-charge of the IITM Research Park
[00:23:42] Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain from Ather Energy started their company from CFI
[00:56:00] Stephen King is Professor Nagarajan’s favourite author in the horror genre
[00:59:20] Dr. Sujata Srinivasan heads the R2D2 Center at IIT Madras
Companies mentioned
[00:42:52] Professor Nagarajan got a call from IBM to join them and worked with them for 15 years
Books & Other Media
[00:52:19] Professor Nagarajan is the author of two books Process Intensification and Contamination and ESD Control in High-Technology Manufacturing
[00:52:27] Professor Nagarajan also won the runner-up prize for a short story in a Mills & Boon Short Story writing competition
[00:55:30] Professor Nagarajan has instituted the Wodehouse-Asimov-Chrisite (WAC) Award after his three favourite authors for students to write short stories
[00:56:15] Professor Nagarjan admitted that he had finally completed reading the Harry Potter series.
Professor Nagarajan has recently retired from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras. He completed his graduation at IIT Madras and then went to Yale University for his Master's. He was part of the alumni cohort that voted to start CFI and started the work that made CFI into what it is today. He was the first Dean of International and Alumni Relations at IIT Madras. He also led the team that relaunched the new Heritage Centre at IIT Madras.
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