if you are considering academia after graduate studies ...

Note: This article was written by me for Indian Student Association (ISA) newsletter after interviewing a few distinguished professors ( of Indian origin) at The Ohio State University. It was a great personal experience talking with these old men. The article follows.


Looking at them, it’s hard to believe that once upon a time they were young students and apprentices, experiencing the same joys, excitements, pangs, aspirations and fears that all of us are going through right now. I had the privilege of interviewing a few of them and the experience has been nothing less than inspiring and surreal. These professors of Indian origin at The Ohio State University are beacon of knowledge and innovation and the truest ambassadors of the great cradle of knowledge that ever was, the ancient India.

They all come from diverse backgrounds, excelling in different areas, following different paths to success. But one common thread binds them all and that is the passion that they carry with them which is so conspicuous that sometimes it can be overwhelming. Nothing was laid out to them on a golden platter. All of them have made their mark with sheer hard work and faith in themselves. In the words of Prof Chandan Sen, Professor & Deputy Director at Departments of Surgery and Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, “Any immigrant will have additional challenges but we have to learn to punctuate limitations with opportunities. Success is all about passion and research should not be done for a living.” Talking to them makes you realize the beauty of the “purpose driven life” and the bliss which comes from being an instrument of change in the life of students and society.

And it came as a pleasant surprise to learn that actually all of them just love to work with students and like the freshness and vivacity that new students bring. They were all very profuse in their welcome message to the new students and felt that OSU has one of the most comprehensive programs in the whole world. Due to its huge size, the diversity in terms of opportunities is phenomenal which should be made best use for all rounded development. According to Prof Somnath Ghosh, professor at Mechanical Engineering and Material Science and Engineering, “Graduate Students don’t understand that they are a vehicle of research in the US. They should be proud to be part of the continuous metamorphosis that they are bringing in through their research….”

While following their passion for research and innovations, the respect and goodwill that these professors have generated for the Indian community in the US is immeasurable and often goes unnoticed. And from the assessment of their work it is quite evident that they are indeed the agents of change, the prime movers in the society. Prof. D K. Panda, at the department of Computer Science and Engineering, lead the Network-Based Computing Research Group. The MVAPICH software developed by his group is powering several supercomputers around the world and is being used by more than 535 organizations world-wide in 35 countries to extract the potential of networking technologies for designing high-end computing systems and servers. Going against the conventional wisdom, Prof Somnath Ghosh, an International leader the field of multiple-scale computational modeling has developed the Voronoi Cell Finite Element Method (VCFEM) which now has a worldwide following. Prof Prabir Dutta is the chair of the chemistry department and is internationally renowned for his research in high temperature sensors, artificial photosynthesis and toxicity of nanoparticles. The impact of his research transcends from automotive exhausts and power plants to medicine and safety. Prof Sudhir Sastry, at the Department of Food and Agriculture, works in the novel methods of sterilization using the influence of electric field in biological substances. Periannan Kuppusamy, professor of internal medicine, who directs one of the biggest research groups at OSU, deals with detection and imaging of free radicals which has high impact in the design of anti-cancer/pro-cardiac drugs. His research shows promise in treating ovarian cancer through improved chemotherapy techniques. Dr Chandan Sen, a truly cosmopolitan researcher, who has worked in virtually every part of the world, is an authority in the area of Regenerative Medicine and at an early age of 40, serves in several leadership positions at OSU and is at the leading edge of research in physiology.

While tracking down their life, the most notable aspect that emerged was the diverse ways in which their career took shape. Firstly, not all of them knew that they would be in academia. Prof Dutta and Prof Cheena Srinivasan, chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department, worked at Exxon and Shell respectively for around half a decade before deciding to join academia. In the words of Prof Srinivasan, he “missed being in an environment where incessant learning is involved and which is replete with freshness and hope”. Prof Sen and Prof Ghosh always wanted to be in such an environment and chose to be academicians from the word go. Prof Sastry, who is a professor in Agriculture department, has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. No one can deny this when he says that “In contemporary research, boundaries are artificial, basic principals remain universal”. All this should be enough to convince us that there are no concrete rules to success and it’s a matter of following your heart to the hilt.

Besides education and research, some of these educators have also taken up leadership positions in other walks of life. Prof Dutta leads the state wise effort, (REEL), Research Experience to Enhance Learning with a $3.3 million grant from NSF trying to change 1st and 2nd yrs UG course. Prof Srinivasan, led an effort with help of other colleagues and alumni to raise more than $20million for the newly constructed Scott laboratory. In his words, “we find ourselves in a very unique position to participate in the changes that are taking place and we should make the best out of it”.

From research and education to holding leadership positions and serving on editorial and other boards and committees takes a toll on the personal and social life these professors. But the interesting part is that no one is complaining, which perhaps is the reason for their success. They are happy and as someone aptly said, “Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values.”