SRMAP Events

Dr Kalidindi N Satyanarayana is invited to deliver a stirring talk during the 2nd Orientation Programme 2020
2020-10-29 10:45 - 12:00 (Asia/Kolkata)
In continuation with the 2nd Orientation Programme 2020, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has requested Dr Kalidindi N Satyanarayana, Director of IIT Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, to address the Freshmen 2020 on October 29, 2020, at 10.45 a.m. He is currently the Chairman of the Implementation Committee for IIT Madras Research Park – Phase II. In the past, he has been in the committees for setting up new campuses including – IIM Trichy, IIT Indore and IIT Jodhpur.
Formerly, Dr Kalidindi N Satyanarayana has been a Professor in the Building Technology & Construction Management Division of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India. Having received his B.Tech degree in Civil Engineering from IIT Madras, MS, and Ph.D. degrees with specialization in Construction Engineering and Management from Clemson University, USA, he joined Madras in 1991 as the faculty.
In addition, Dr Kalidindi N Satyanarayana is the Chairman of the Academic Advisory Group, Project Management Institute (PMI) India; Vice-Chairman, Board of Advisors of The Glass Academy; Expert Member on the Board of Management of Building Materials & Promotion Council (BMTPC), and serves as Independent Director on five company boards. Further, he is the recipient of many academic awards including the PMI (India) Distinguished Scholar Award (2011).
Dr Kalidindi N Satyanarayana’s teaching, research and consulting interests in the areas of project management, construction contracts, construction productivity, construction equipment, C&D waste management, and public-private partnerships, will be reflected in his inspirational session with the students of SRM AP.

Dr Sangeeta Sharma to inspire students during the 2nd Orientation Programme 2020
2020-10-31 10:45 - 12:00
Dr Sangeeta Sharma, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani will be addressing the Freshmen 2020 during the 2nd Orientation Programme organized by SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh on October 31, 2020, at 10.45 a.m. Dr Sharma is an academician of par excellence and was the head of Publication and Media Relations Unit, along with being the Group Leader of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Dr Sharma possesses a gamut of experience in classroom delivery, corporate connect and training, writing books and research papers, paper presentation in national and international conferences, editorial work, and organizing academic events, etc. She has published 26 books and 45 research papers in the area of gender studies, advertising, cultural studies, and communication in reputed journals.
Further, Dr Sharma was the Coordinator of Center for Women Studies (CWS), which had diverse range of activities to help women benefit from technology. She is a licensed trainer for Springboard Development Program (U.K.), which is an internationally recognized women’s development programme. She has also successfully completed the project “Rural women empowerment and sustainable growth”, where she supervised the production of low-cost sanitary napkins by the rural women, which made them independent.

Ms Ruby will be addressing the audience in a session titled "Being Job Ready"
2020-10-31 14:00 - 15:00
Department of Corporate Relations and Career Services, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has arranged a session titled “Being Job Ready” on October 31, 2020, at 2 p.m. Ms Ruby will be addressing the audience during the webinar to advise them on the measures to be taken to secure their dream job offers. Ms Ruby has rich and varied experience in various facets of “People Function” in a cross-cultural environment with a multi-generational workforce. She has extensive experience in Talent Management, Business HR Partnering, CSR, and Compliance. Previously, she has worked as an HRBP in BI Worldwide. Currently, she is a talent business partner in the product development division of ADP -India.

University Distinguished Lecture Series 02: Prof N Balakrishnan on Data to Discovery in Information Security
2020-10-31 15:00 - 16:00
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has arranged the University Distinguished Lecture Series 02 on October 31, 2020 at 3 PM. Prof N Balakrishnan, Super Computer Education and Research Centre, Honorary Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru will be delivering a lecture on Data to Discovery in Information Security during the webinar. The guest speaker is a visiting professor at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Institute for Software Research International, and Carnegie Mellon University. Also, he is the director of the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Industrial Finance Corporation of India, Bharat Sanchar Nigam, and the Data Security Council of India. The Government of India honoured him with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 2002.
Presently, Prof N Balakrishnan is heading the National Supercomputing Mission of India approved by the Government of India. In addition, he is a former member of the National Security Advisory Board and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India along with being the former Deputy Managing Director of El Forge Ltd. Further, he held the posts of a director at C-DOT Alcatel Lucent Research Centre, Bharat Electronics, and Central Bank of India. Most prominently, Prof N Balakrishnan is renowned for his contribution in the establishment of the National Centre for Science Information, and Supercomputer Education Research Centre, in 1984, and 1994 respectively, at the Indian Institute of Science.

During his lecture, Prof N Balakrishnan will focus on demonstrating the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in discovering the ever-increasing quantity of data in computer networks. Splitting his lecture into two segments, Prof N Balakrishnan will initiate the session by describing the concept “Revenge of Silicon” that clearly establishes the inevitability of the birth of big data and AI. Further, he will share insights regarding his research on the use of ML in handling large volumes of network data to enhance the performance of Intrusion Detection Systems, detecting structured botnets at infrastructure level traffic, malware detection, and classification for offline and online streaming data. Proceeding with the talk, he will dedicate the second half of his lecture in explaining Influence maximization and mobility, and churn prediction for a large population of a city which depend on large volumes of data from social media and Call Data Records (CDR). These concepts have significance in establishing smart cities, smart businesses, and smart economy.

Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on "Recent Advancements in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence"
2020-11-02 09:30 - 2020-11-06 11:00
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh is orchestrating a five-day online Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Recent Advancements in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence” from November 2, 2020, till November 6, 2020. The programme will be split into two sessions, where the first session will be held from 9.30 AM to 11 AM, and the second session will commence at 11.30 AM and end at 1 PM. During the FDP, Resource persons will be sharing knowledge during the morning sessions of the FDP to inspire, and mentor the faculty. Among the venerated speakers, Prof Dipti Prasad Mukharjee, Professor, Electronics and Communication Sciences Unit, ISI Kolkata, India will be delivering a lecture on “Machine Learning Techniques for Computer Vision”. Further, Dr V Masilamani, Associate Professor, Computer Engineering, Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India, will be sharing insights on “Machine Learning for Image Quality Assessment”.
Moving ahead with the FDP, Dr Deepak Mishra, Associate Professor & Head, Avionics Department Indian Institute of Space Technology (IIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India, will host a session on “Machine Learning Applications in Remote Sensing”. Another session will be held on “Object and Image Memorability Analysis using Deep Learning Approach” by Dr Arjit Sur, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Guwahati, India. In addition, Dr A Vadivel, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, has been requested to conduct a session on “India Facial Expression Classification Using Machine Learning”. Apart from this, Dr Amal Dev P, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Guwahati, India will be discussing the “Applications of AI in Computer Graphics”.
Dr Deepak Ranjan Nayak, Assistant Professor, Computer Engineering, MNIT Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, will be speaking on “Medical Image Processing using Deep Learning” whereas, Dr Sanjay Kumar Panda, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, NIT Warangal, Telangana, India have chosen the topic “Case Study of Machine Learning: Recommender Systems” for his lecture during the FDP. Also, the department of CSE will be welcoming Dr Subhankar Mishra, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, India, and Dr Jatindra Dash, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, India, to deliver a talk on “Secure and Private Machine Learning”, and “Texture Classification using Machine Learning”, respectively. Post graduate and research students, along with faculty across various institutions with background knowledge in Computer Science and/or Electronics Engineering are urged to attend the FDP to augment their horizon of knowledge, and receive an e-certificate on successfully completing the entire five-day FDP.
Brochure: Please Click Here
Coordinators’ Details:
Dr Manikandan V M
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
EMAIL: manikandan.v@srmap.edu.in
Dr Sobin C C
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
EMAIL: sobin.c@srmap.edu.in

Prof S Chandrasekhar to deliver a talk during University Distinguished Lecture 04
2020-11-21 15:00 - 16:00
The fourth edition of the University Distinguished Lecture organized by SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh will be delivered by Prof S Chandrasekhar, Director, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. On November 21, 2020, at 3 PM, the session on “Saga of Science from 13th Century to 21st Century” will be steered by the esteemed academician. Prof S Chandrasekhar joined CSIR-IICT as Scientist C and became the director in 2015. He has made significant contributions in diverse areas of organic chemistry with a special emphasis on chiral chemistry, total synthesis of biologically active natural products and pharmaceutical products. Further, he has received several accolades including the Eminent Scientist Award for contributions in the field of Chemistry from Telangana State Government in 2017, CNR Rao National Prize for Chemical Research 2012, CSIR Technology award 2014, and Infosys prize in Chemical sciences 2014 for his contributions to synthetic organic chemistry.

Prof S Chandrasekhar has developed technologies for the synthesis of the latest anti-tuberculosis drug, bedaquiline; anti-tumor and abortive drug, misoprostol; anti-platelet molecule, beraprost; antidepressive compound, sertralin and drug for treatment of schizophrenia, asenapine. During his lecture, Prof S Chandrasekhar will frame a narrative of the knowledge explosion in terms of science and technology from the 13th to 21st century. Providing a historical perspective, he will describe the evolution of the technology base and the transformation of production and service activities.

Department of Student Affairs organize a session with budding entrepreneurs
2020-11-21 17:00 - 18:00
Department of Student Affairs, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh organizes yet another chapter of Newsmakers. On November 21, 2020, at 5 PM, Sourav Sanyal, Miran Junaidi, and Saurabh Ghanekar, 4th year, Department of Computer Science and Engineering will be narrating their tale of forming a start-up named oureye.ai. The young entrepreneurs developed an automated, end-to-end video intelligence solution for enterprises to monitor surveillance camera recordings, leveraging pre-existing CCTV-IP infrastructure.
The three brilliant students grabbed the opportunities provided by SRM AP and became an active member of the student-run technological club of SRM AP, Next Tech Lab. Further, they spent a semester at the University of California, Berkeley as part of the Semester Abroad Programme to broaden their horizon of knowledge. Encouraged by the mentors and faculty, the students participated in several international conferences and hackathons which kindled their interest in developing a platform that would provide practical solutions to real-life problems.
During the session, the students will share insights regarding their start-up. Also, they will narrate the inspiring journey that commenced with their erudite experience at SRM AP, which eventually enabled them to become young entrepreneurs. Their company generated a revenue of Rs. 1.7 million in the recent financial year.

C Kutumba Rao will be orating on "Global Financial Scenario in 2020"
2020-11-23 17:00 - 18:00
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh is delighted to announce that C Kutumba Rao will be conducting a session titled “Global Financial Scenario in 2020” on October 23, 2020, at 5.00 PM. C Kutumba Rao is a resourceful and ambitious market analyst/economist with an extensive understanding of financial markets/economic theory and its practical implications. His ability to identify emerging economic trends and issues, understanding of economic relationships, knowledge of interest rates, taxation, and employment levels, enables him to provide a clear explanation of financial information along with effective recommendations.
After joining as a Sub-Broker in the Hyderabad Stock Exchange in 1991, C Kutumba Rao became the Director of M/s PL Stock & Share Broker Pvt Ltd-Member of Hyderabad Stock Exchange and the Director of Hyderabad Stock Exchange Ltd between 2011-2013. In addition, he is the writer of the popular column “Market Khabar” in Deccan Chronicle, columnist of “Market Khabarein” for Hans, and Presenter of business and stock market live shows in popular TV channels such as TV 5, TV9, Mahaa TV, ETV, NDTV, India Today, and others. Further, he is the former Vice Chairman, Andhra Pradesh State Planning Board, and is presently the Director of Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation.

Prof D Basavaiah to deliver insightful lecture during University Distinguished Lecture Series 05
2020-11-28 15:00 - 16:00
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh presents the fifth edition of the University Distinguished Lecture Series on November 28, 2020, at 3 PM. Prof. D. Basavaiah, INSA Senior Scientist, Professor, School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad will be addressing the audience and delivering an insightful lecture on “Philosophy of Ultimate Success in Scientific Life”. Prof D Basavaiah acquired his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Banaras Hindu University, following which he became a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. He has a gamut of experience in science and academia sprawled over 30 years in which he worked as a Scientist C, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, after which he moved to the University of Hyderabad.

In his prolific career, Prof D Basavaiah won many accolades and awards for his contribution to science, which includes Professor T R Govindachari 60th Birthday Commemoration Endowment Award in Organic Chemistry in 1999-2000, CRSI Silver Medal in 2008, JC Bose Fellowship (DST-New Delhi) in 2008, National Best Teacher award in Chemistry in 2008 (sponsored by AV Rama Rao Research Foundation in association with IICT and AP Academy of Sciences), The Indian Science Congress Platinum Jubilee lecture award in Chemical Sciences in 2009, INSA- Professor TR Seshadri 70th Birthday Commemoration Medal in 2009, BHU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2012, and many more. Prof D Basavaiah will apply his vast understanding of science to guide the audience during the UDL 05, which will benefit academicians, faculty, and students from diverse fields.

Department of Computer Science invites Dr Sridharan R to share insights on "Baby steps towards Quantum Computing"
2020-12-03 11:30 - 12:30
Dr Sridharan R will be hosting a session arranged by the Department of Computer Science, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh on December 3, 2020, at 11.30 AM. During the session, the revered mathematician will be delivering a lecture on “Baby steps towards Quantum Computing”. Dr Sridharan R researched on “Efficient placement of VMs and containers on cloud and edge resources” to obtain his Doctorate in Mathematics. In his career spanning over 25 years, his portfolio of research domains includes correctness Debugger and Profilers for Parallel and Distributed computing, as well as Grid and Cloud computing. Further, his current research interest involves Cloud Computing and Quantum Computing. Quantum computing is the use of quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform computation. Capable of moving both backward and forward in time, quantum particles can exist in two places at the same time and even ‘teleport’. This subject has gained immense popularity in the modern days as Quantum computers will have enhanced efficiency by using quantum bits or qubits instead of the simple manipulation of ones and zeros.

Prof Ashutosh Sharma to orate on "Art of Science: Covid and Beyond"
2020-12-05 11:00 - 12:00
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh invites Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India to address during the sixth chapter of the University Distinguished Lecture Series. Completing his B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur, and MS from Pennsylvania State University, Prof Sharma moved to the State University of New York to pursue his PhD. During his stint at IIT, Kanpur, Prof Sharma held important positions such as Professor, Institute Chair Professor, Head – Chemical Engineering, and Founding Coordinator – Nanosciences Center and Advanced Imaging Center. Prof Sharma’s engagement in interdisciplinary research spans across a wide spectrum involving nanotechnology, biomaterials, environment, and health. Being associated with DST since 2015, Prof Sharma has been instrumental in introducing several new programmes pertaining to infrastructure, human capacity building, innovation, advanced manufacturing, waste processing, clean energy, and many more.

Prof Sharma’s immense contribution in the field of science won him innumerable honours and awards including the inaugural Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science, TWAS Science Prize of the World Academy of Sciences, Bessel Research Award of the Humboldt Foundation, J C Bose Fellowship, SS Bhatnagar Prize, Homi J Bhabha Award of UGC, The Syed Husain Zaheer Medal, Meghnad Saha Medal of INSA, Distinguished Alumni Awards of IIT Kanpur and SUNY Buffalo, Firodia Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Indian Science Congress, and several Doctor of Science honoris causa from SUNY Buffalo, as well as Jadavpur University. Apart from holding editorial positions in several journals of repute, Prof Sharma is an elected Fellow of The Indian National Science Academy, The Indian Academy of Sciences, The National Academy of Sciences, India and Indian National Academy of Engineering, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials.

On December 5, 2020, at 11 AM, Prof Sharma will take the virtual podium to deliver a session on “Art of Science in the Time of Virus and Beyond: The Brave New World”. The ability of the scientific community to systematically think through complex problems generate credible information. However, the cloistered existence of researchers and pursuers of science impedes the rapid emergence of practical inferences. The pandemic has driven scientists to voluntarily collaborate, inspire, understand, and develop a flexible but structured process to deliver impactful as well as innovative solutions. During his lecture, Prof Sharma will discuss the evolution of the art of science propelled by the unprecedented crisis.

Prof K N Ganesh, Director, IISER, Tirupati invited to talk during University Distinguished Lecture 07
2020-12-12 15:00 - 16:00
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has previously conducted six illuminating lectures by venerated guests as part of the University Distinguished Lecture Series. Subsequently, Prof K N Ganesh, Director, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati has been invited to deliver a talk during the seventh edition of the UDL series to be held on December 12, 2020, at 3 PM.

Earlier in his career, Prof K N Ganesh joined the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR), Hyderabad where he established India’s first microsynthesis DNA facility, initiating a vigorous research programme to discover new motifs of DNA-protein interactions. Following which, he relocated to National Chemical Laboratory (NCL-CSIR) where he was the Head of Organic Chemistry Division. Further, he took charge as the first Director of the newly founded IISER, Pune.
Prof K N Ganesh has made excellent research contributions in the field of nucleic acids, focusing on therapeutic and diagnostic applications of DNA analogues, structural biology of collagen peptides and the emerging area of DNA nanotechnology. He is internationally acclaimed for his pioneering contributions in designing the Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) analogues for effective cell permeation.

During UDL07, Prof K N Ganesh will be steering the audience through a lecture on “Pursuit of Excellence: Institution Building”. Institution Building entails the improvement of organizational performance intended to transform and benefit the society. Further, the pursuit of excellence brings a positive swing in individuals’ lives by generating progressive outcomes. Prof K N Ganesh demonstrated remarkable leadership in spearheading Institution Building while establishing IISERs as brand science education and research institutes, now attaining international recognition.

Workshop on "Researcher Profiles and Indexing" by Dr Karthik Rajendran
2021-02-20 15:00 - 16:30
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh presents a workshop on “Researcher Profiles and Indexing” to stimulate the faculty members and PhD Scholars to build and professionalize their profile for improved visibility. A profile accumulates all the research and publications of scholars, mitigating common problems that often arise in searching. Actively managing the research profile enhances the impact of the research, and potentially discover audiences and collaborators. Further, it helps in comprehending the research trends, facilitating researchers to embark on significant research projects.
On February 20, 2021, at 3 PM, Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor, SRM University-AP will initiate the workshop by addressing and welcoming the audience. Further, Dr Karthik Rajendran, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, SRM University-AP will host the workshop where he will empower his colleagues to augment the visibility of their research works in the digital space. During the session, Dr Karthik will advise the audience on employing Scimago JR, Scopus profiles, ORCID, Scopus and ORCID, and Publons and ORCID. An interactive session will follow where Dr Karthik will be resolving the queries of the audience through discussions and deliberations.

A discussion on the Future of Science: observing National Science Day 2021
2021-02-27 16:00 - 17:00
On February 28, 1928, Sir C V Raman discovered the Raman effect, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. National Science Day is observed every year on this day to commemorate the contributions made by scientists towards the development of our nation and the world as a whole. Further, the day is celebrated to create awareness concerning the role of science in society.
Following the theme of National Science Day 2021- ‘Future of STI: Impact on Education Skills and Work’, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh has organized a panel discussion on February 27, 2021, at 4 PM. During the session, Prof Ranjit Thapa, Department of Physics, Dr Imran Pancha, Department of Biological Sciences, Dr Karthik Rejendran, Department of Environmental Science, Dr Manjula R, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Prof Jayaseelan Murugaiyan, Department of Biological Sciences (Moderator) will be deliberating on “The Future of science is faster and exciting than you think.”
During the session, the eminent professors will be discussing the application of new techniques for the development of science. Ideas will also be spawned to provide opportunities to scholars pursuing science, thus accelerating the pace of scientific development. Subsequently, the panel will manifest the exponentially improving technologies that require a transformation in the pedagogy, education, curriculum, and skill enhancement approaches while imparting knowledge to the young minds.

Dr Jaganmohan Rao speaks on Automotive NVH- Future Challenges
2021-03-04 18:00 - 19:00
Department of Mechanical Engineering welcomes Dr Jaganmohan Rao, Divisional Manager, Ashok Leyland, Chennai, on a Webinar to enlighten the students on ” Automotive NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) – Future Challenges”. The webinar is scheduled for March 04, 2021, at 6 pm. In his speech, Dr Rao will concentrate on the Basics of Automotive Noise and Vibration, NVH Development Process in Industry, NVH Tools and Techniques and Vehicle and Systems NVH.
Dr Jaganmohan Rao is an automotive professional with twenty years of vehicle development and testing experience in major automotive companies such as – Ashok Leyland, Cummins, Hero Honda and TVS motor) in India. He has been the Project Manager for many new product developments in Ashok Leyland in the NVH Domain. He further has Six Sigma Green belt and Black Belt certifications. Dr Rao was the TQBM Coordinator for Product development and a key member of Institute and Industry Relation Developments.
Dr Rao has obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institutes of Technology (NIT), Trichy. He is a veteran in the field of Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH). Prior to his doctoral studies, Dr Rao did M.S. in Applied Mechanics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. His bachelor studies in Mechanical Engineering was pursued from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, Andra Pradesh. He has published 14 papers in international Journals and Conferences. He is the proud owner of 2 patents in Electric vehicle fan design. As a Research Supervisor, he has guided 10 B.Tech and 2 M.Tech Projects. Dr Rao further owns a first level TRIZ certificate from The International TRIZ Association.
Join the thought-provoking session today to groom yourself for the challenges of tomorrow.

Dr Gaurav Bhatnagar to interact on "The Partition-Frequency Enumeration Matrix"
2021-03-10 15:00 - 16:00
Progressing with the series of Departmental Seminars, Department of Mathematics, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh invites Dr Gaurav Bhatnagar, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Ashoka University to deliver a lecture titled “The Partition-Frequency Enumeration Matrix” on March 10, 2021, at 3 PM.
The Partition-Frequency Enumeration (PFE) matrix is an infinite upper-triangular number-theoretic matrix that is used to enumerate partition-like objects as an elementary approach. This matrix unifies voluminous results connecting number-theoretic functions to partition-type functions. The calculus is extended to arbitrary generating functions and functions with Weierstrass products. As a by-product, some well-known recurrence relations for many number-theoretic functions are recovered. These include the sum of divisors function, Ramanujan’s $tau$ function, sums of squares and triangular numbers, and $zeta(2n)$, where $n$ is a positive integer. As an application, Ramanujan’s famous congruences $p(5n+4)equiv 0$ (mod $5)$ and $tau(5n+5)equiv 0$ (mod $5)$ are embedded into an infinite family of such congruences. During the lecture, Dr Gaurav Bhatnagar will highlight two other congruence results concerning the sum of the divisor function.

E-cell presents a discussion on "Why top companies started at the university campus?"
2021-03-23 17:30 - 18:30
E-Cell or Entrepreneur cell at SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Most of the renowned and thriving enterprises across the globe have been envisioned from an E-cell of a college or a university campus. Subsequently, E-cell at SRM University-AP endorses and facilitates startup ideas of students. Enhancing the essence of the impactful community of leaders, Ms Navya and Ms Abhigna have joined the e-cell as the core team members.
On March 23, 2021, at 5.30 PM, the E-cell has organized “Why top companies started at the university campus?” where the special guest Mr Amara Aditya Manikanta, a final year student from Dehradun University, and the founder of a startup supported by his university E-cell, along with the core team will identify the significance of campus E-cells in shaping young entrepreneurs and establishing innovative startups that potentially transforms the world and society.

Pertinent discussion on "Youth Mental Health: Current Challenges and Ways Forward"
2021-03-24 14:00 - 16:00
The Department of Psychology, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh have organized a Panel Discussion on “Youth Mental Health: Current Challenges and Ways Forward”. Convened by Dr Salome Divya Joseph, Dr Janhavi Devdutt, and Ms Ayesha Parveen Haroon, the discussion will be held on March 24, 2021, at 2 PM. Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor, will initiate the pertinent conversation and welcome the invited guests to the panel.
Prof Manoj K Sharma, Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences(NIMHANS), Bangalore, will alarm the participants on “Pathways of Technology Addiction”. A kind of behavioural addiction, Technology Addiction frequently impacts the teens and youth by impeding their regular tasks, and social life. Thus, recognizing the consequences of their addiction becomes necessary.
Advancing with the Panel Discussion, Ms Ashwini N V, Founder- Director, Muktha Foundation, Bangalore, will speak on “Interpersonal Violence & Mental Health”. Exposure to violence make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Promoting psychological well-being, Ms Ashwini will elaborately talk about the ways of protecting the teens from such risks.
The grim issue of “Self-harm Behaviours in Youth” will be addressed by Dr Nupur Singhal, Chief Clinical Psychologist, The Grey Circle, Noida. Underlying concerns including anxiety, tension, loneliness, and self-hatred often compels young individuals to harm themselves. Children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities are also at risk. Dr Nupur will alert the audience to protect the young adults from falling prey to this condition.
Further, Prof Poonam Devdutt, Director, Centre for Psychology and Human Behaviour, Shobit University, Meerut, will touch upon the significance of “Life Skill Education for Promoting Mental Health”. She will be stating the significance of imparting life skills education to the students with the intention of focusing on the needs of young individuals, motivating them, and enhancing their social and self-management skills.
Concluding the discussion, Prof A Kalam, Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (SLASS), SRM University-AP will express gratitude to the guests as well as the audience for addressing the stigmatic concerns pertaining to the mental health of the otherwise vibrant youth.

Dr Chittaranjan Mishra to discuss "Fast pricing of multi-asset American options under jump-diffusion models"
2021-03-24 15:00 - 17:00
In the next chapter of Departmental Seminars Series, Department of Mathematics, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh welcomes Dr Chittaranjan Mishra, Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, to deliver a lecture on “Fast pricing of multi-asset American options under jump-diffusion models” on March 24, 2021, at 3 pm.
Multi-asset American options are interesting in many ways, e.g., they give the holder the flexibility to exercise at any time up to maturity, allow for risk diversification and for us, these contracts are mathematically challenging to price due to the non-availability of a closed-form formula. When jumps are introduced to model underlying assets, one will be required to solve a partial integro-differential complementary problem (PIDCP) for pricing these contracts. In these cases, we find that computing sufficiently accurate option prices in real-time is extremely difficult. That is because the in hand PIDCP involves a multi-dimensional partial integro-differential equation with a non-local double integral term. Solving these multi-dimensional PIDCP by advanced numerical techniques, such as a customized finite difference method, is very time-consuming, as the corresponding discretization matrices are huge in size. More importantly, the integral approximation matrix is also dense, posing a serious challenge to handle storage memory. Many efficient techniques are proposed primarily to handle the double integral term. However, the required solving time is still not practicable for practitioners.
In our research, we exploit the amazing parallel architecture of modern graphics processing units (GPUs) to solve computationally expensive scientific problems. Nevertheless, resolving the problem at hand by employing a GPU is not straightforward. It requires one to overcome many bottlenecks, such as in. In this work, we have investigated these issues in order to achieve substantial speed-ups compared to a sequential FD implementation.
Mathematics enthusiasts are requested to avail this opportunity to listen to our distinguished speaker on March 24th, at 3 pm.

e-Cell organises enlightening webinar on "Super focus at Exams with Theta Waves"
2021-03-25 19:00 - 20:00
The e-Cell of Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA), SRM University-AP is back with another exciting chapter. ‘Unleash Mind’ is a programme that unlocks the mind’s untapped potential through some of the ancient and proven scientific techniques.
Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”. This is the simplest indication of the various levels and frequencies of our mind.
We all must have experienced that when we need a solution, we start thinking. When we start thinking, we go into the depths of our minds. Sometimes, the tranquillity feels like a dream or bliss or a peaceful state mingled with creativity and a flow of thoughts that eventually aids you to come up with a solution.
Everything begins with some simple understanding of the fundamentals of life, based on some laws of this universe. If one can master one’s thinking ability, he/she will be able to expand and enhance his/her capabilities. Controlling your mind empowers you with the potentiality of controlling your life.
Ms Swathi and Ms Varshini have come up with a very special edition of the Unleash Mind Community – Super focus at Exams with Theta Waves. A very special guest Shri Girish Jha, an International Coach of Spirituality, will be among us to share his personal experience in the-“mind over matter.”
Join the exciting event Theta Waves: 10x Focus @ Exams, organised by Unleash Mind Community – SRM ECell, on March 25, 2021, at 7 pm.
Join the leadership community and be a part of our dynamic e-cell at www.tiny.cc/srmapecell

Prof Pankaj Poddar to narrate his fascinating journey of working on "M3: Microscopy, microbes, and materials"
2021-03-27 11:00 - 12:00
The second chapter of the Biology Seminar Series presented by the Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh will have Prof Pankaj Poddar, Professor, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) & Senior Principal Scientist, Physical & Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, speak on “M3: Microscopy, microbes, and materials“. The interaction of cells with Materials Science yields surprising inferences due to their sensitivity to the surrounding environment. Whether it is the study of cytotoxicity of various materials against mammalian cells or microbial cells, cells respond often in an unpredictable fashion when in proximity to the inorganic/organic materials. On March 27, 2021, at 11 AM, Prof Poddar will present highlights of this fascinating journey in his laboratory where he used various tools to look at the cells closely and invented a method ‘biomilling’ which has the potential for bioremediation in industries.
Since he was young, Prof Poddar had a keen interest in understanding the secrets of nature. After completing his PhD in Physical Sciences from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2000, he worked at the School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, and in the Department of Physics, University of South Florida. In April 2005, he returned to India and joined CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune as a scientist and started his research group. His early research focused on bio-inspired material sciences, microscopy of biological objects where his team investigated the interesting Physics of microbes and their interaction with the surroundings. Later, he worked on multimodel imaging, and drug-delivery systems for cancer cells using rare-earth phosphor nanomaterials, quantum-clusters, etc. Prof Poddar has been awarded with CSIR-Young Scientist Award in Physical Sciences, Scientist of the Year Award by CSIR-NCL, and MRSI- medal by Materials Research Society of India. He is also a fellow of the Electron Microscope Society of India, and the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences.

"Overcoming Procrastination!-Doing Vs Delay"- in conversation with Dr Smita Sharma
2021-03-27 16:00 - 17:30
How many of you thought, “It’s just the beginning of the semester, there’s a lot of time to catch up with studies,” and then struggled with the syllabus before the exams? How many of you were frustrated with assignment submissions just because you did not start it on time? How many sleepless nights have you spent before taking the exams because the revision was due? We are sure that you all have experienced some kind of trouble because you put the work on hold. Admittedly, we all have a procrastinator within ourselves. We all love to postpone things a bit, allowing us some free time to enjoy ourselves. However, we often forget that all the work that is being piled up due to our procrastination will come back to us with a bitter consequence.
A student’s life is a time to learn the essential skills that are going to support them in their future professional and personal growth. Doing tasks on time has its own substantial benefits that are not only going to help you in your academic career but also in every sphere of life. Do you find it to be too difficult to learn?
Dr Smita Sharma is the ideal person who can enlighten you on how procrastination affects our thinking and behaviour. She will further guide you with the techniques to defeat it. Dr Smita, as you know, is your counsellor at SRM University-AP, and she will be available in an Interactive session with you on “Overcoming Procrastination!-Doing Vs Delay”. Join the session on March 27, 2021, at 4 pm.

"PDEs and Digital Images"- in discussion with Dr Vijayakrishna Rowthu
2021-04-07 15:00 - 16:00
Department of Mathematics is back with another exciting version of the Departmental Seminars Series. This week, the Department of Mathematics invites the in-house mathematician Dr Vijayakrishna Rowthu to deliver a talk on “PDEs and Digital Images.” He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics. The seminar has been scheduled for April 07, 2021, at 3 pm.
Digital images are discrete versions of 2D functions defined over a rectangular bounded domain. In the language of Partial Differential Equations(PDE), a digital Image Processing Method(IPM) appears as an Initial Value Problem (IVP) where the initial value is an image, and the PDE mimics the processing part of the method. Unlike the traditional IPMs, the final outcome is not subjective but majorly depends on the convergence of the evolving solution over the time axis.
In this talk, various PDE models will be illustrated to showcase the benefits and to infuse enough mathematical rigour into the field of image processing itself. Mathematics enthusiasts are requested to avail this opportunity to listen to our distinguished speaker on April 07, at 3 pm.

"Health in Our Hands"- an interactive session with Dr Srimadhuri on World Health Day
2021-04-07 16:00 - 17:00
On the auspicious occasion of World Health Day, the Department of Student Affairs organises a very special session for the students of SRM University-AP. As Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly said, “The first wealth is health,” we often forget that. Especially in the thrill of the invigorating youth, students tend to neglect their health and suffer later. Needless to say that we all should remember that health is the most important thing in everyone’s life. A few good practices can keep the diseases away and make your life worthwhile. “Health in Our Hands”, presented by Dr Srimadhuri, will enlighten the students on some substantial problems that the youth of this generation face. She will also share the present scenario regarding COVID-19 and the ideal stand to keep oneself safe from the disease. The session will not be limited to problems related to the students. The faculty and staff will also be benefitted by listening to Dr Srimadhuri’s advice.
Dr Srimadhuri has completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, under the affiliation of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences. Dr Srimadhuri is a young and brilliant doctor who is currently associated with the Ramesh Hospitals, Guntur, as a Medical officer at the Department of Cardiology and Paediatrics.
Enthusiasts are requested to join the webinar on April 07, 2021, at 4 pm to know more from Dr Srimadhuri herself.

Prof Lakshmi Kantam to present a captivating speech on Catalysts for Sustainable Chemical Industry
2021-04-17 15:30 - 17:30
SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, invites Prof M Lakshmi Kantam in the ninth edition of the University Distinguished Lecture Series to deliver the keynote address on “Design and Development of Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Catalysts for Sustainable Chemical Industry” on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 03.30 PM. Our guest of the evening, Prof M Lakshmi Kantam, FNA, FTWAS, FNASc, FRSC, is a renowned name in the field of Chemical Sciences and Engineering. She is presently the Dr B P Godrej Distinguished Professor of Green Chemistry and Sustainability Engineering at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.
Her areas of expertise are Catalysis, Materials & Process Chemistry.

Prof Lakshmi Kantam did her Bachelor in Science from Andhra Pradesh. The Alumna of Kurukshetra University pursued her masters and doctoral studies there. She has further received Honorary Doctorate in Science by Sri Padamavati Mahila Viswavidayalam, Tirupathi, in 2014.
She was the former Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. She is also an Honorary Professor at The University of New Castle, Australia and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Apart from managing various academic and leadership positions for various organisations, Prof Kantam is also the Non-Executive Independent Director at Godavari Biorefineries Ltd, Indo-Amines Ltd., and Vinati Organics Ltd.

Prof Lakshmi Kantam is one of India’s leading researchers in the domain of Chemical Engineering and is bestowed with numerous awards and recognition for her commendable contributions to the scientific fraternity. The admirable scientist has published 347 research papers in reputed peer-reviewed journals with citations of 16018. she has further authored and edited five books. The brilliant scientific mind has been granted 52 patents for her innovations. Her present Industry Collaborations include companies such as GBL, VOL, Hikal Ltd, Indo Amines Ltd, Jubilant, Rallies, Kesar Petroproducts Ltd, GACL, Marvel Drugs, Prasol, Mangalam Organics etc.
She is associated with various Government Organisations, including the Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Science and Technology, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory-Pune (DRDO), IIT-Hyderabad, GAIL, etc., to name a few.
Prof Kantam’s contributions are recognised with numerous honours and awards. She has been awarded ICC -D.M.Trivedi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, Devang Mehta – National Education Award (Women in Education Award) in 2017, Asian Paints Padma Vibhushan Dr R A Mashelkar Medal and Chemcon Distinguished Speaker Award (For leadership in Science, Technology and Education)-CHEMCON in 2016, J.C.Bose Fellowship (SERB-DST) in 2015, Lifetime Achievement Award by Indian Chemical Society in 2011.
She is further honoured as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Indian National Science Academy, The Royal Society of Chemistry- UK, National Academy of Sciences, India.
The spirited woman also performs her scholarly duties as the Editorial Board Member at Chemical Record (TCR), Wiley-VCH and Journal of Chemical Sciences, Springer Publishers and the Associate Editor, Catalysis in Green Chemistry and Engineering, Begell house.
Join the webinar on April 17 at 3.30 PM to listen to the captivating speech of the leading scientist in Chemical Engineering and avail this opportunity to broaden your perspectives.

"Multicellularity and Organizational Principles of Metabolism"- Dr Sunil ushers in the new possibilities
2021-04-24 11:00 - 12:00
In the next chapter of the Biology Seminar Series, the Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University-AP, invites Dr Sunil Laxman to deliver an enlightening talk on “Rethinking multicellularity based on the organizational principles of metabolism”. Biology Seminar Series 03 has been scheduled for April 24, 2021, at 11.00 am.
Dr Sunil Laxman is an Associate Investigator at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore. The laboratory is interested in understanding organizational principles of metabolic regulation and mechanisms of nutrient sensing. The laboratory research interests can be viewed in three parts: (i) understanding what makes some metabolites special, (ii) discovering metabolic sensors and signalling systems, and (iii) understanding how metabolic constraints can control collective cell behaviour. These studies integrate systems-level approaches, mechanistic biochemistry and cell biology, and theory/mathematical modelling to address these questions. Dr Sunil Laxman has been a DBT-Wellcome India Alliance Intermediate Fellow and is a current EMBO Global Investigator. Beyond the lab, Dr Sunil is interested in understanding how science and innovation can be effectively scaled-this includes policy, innovation hubs, and research outreach programs.
Dr Sunil did his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Industrial Biotechnology from the Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai. He obtained his PhD from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. He spent several years at the Dept. of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Scientist before joining inStem, Bangalore.
Dr Sunil is also active in science outreach programmes, and he has written popular science articles. The periodic science column for The Wire on the process of discovery, innovation and the scientific method; “Who moved my science”- a science policy and process discussion on the Pragati podcast; Science communication on amazing fungi are some of the examples that bear his signature as a passionate science preacher and educator.
It is a great privilege for Biology enthusiasts to have such a versatile scientist among them. Join the webinar on April 24, 2021, at 11.00 am to learn more from the expert himself.

An intriguing two-day session on "Flourishing through stress" with Aayushi Sharma
2021-04-24 16:00 - 2021-04-25 17:00
Amid Covid-19, when we see high rates of mental duress and a substantial rise in the cases struggling with health concerns, an initiative in the form of discussion is highly obliging. The Department of Student Affairs of the SRM University-AP came forward with an imperative step to hold a two-day webinar on “Flourishing through Stress” with Aayushi Sharma, Student Counsellor, SRM University-AP on April 24 and 25, 2021, from 4 pm to 5 pm.
Mental health and well-being go parallelly, and both interrelate for a healthy livelihood. Everybody caught up in the web of stress, anxiety, and mental issues necessitate counselling to escape through it. With the advent of social media and pop culture narrative, people are open to conversations related to mental health concerns. Youths are the future for a healthier society, laden with a responsibility to understand the mechanism of a complex world. Therefore, a general discussion on self-care and mental health awareness is an effective coping strategy for improving quality of life.
There is very little information disseminated on mental health which led to confusion among people. Individuals often confuse the term mental illness with mental health conversation as there is a profound absence of awareness. Meanwhile, no one confuses a common cold or headache as these illnesses happen on a broad spectrum.
More actions are needed to spread awareness on the spectrum of mental health, especially the common ones such as loneliness and depression, so that an individual can realize these issues and seek medical help or therapy.
Participate in the zoom webinar on April 24 and 25, 2021, at 4 pm to get detailed information on mental health and related topics.

Youngster Sai Akhil in Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19 Squad
2021-04-26 17:00 - 18:00
“I’ve failed over and over and over again that why I succeeded”-Michael Jordan.
Aspiring young cricketer and second-year BBA student of SRM University-AP, Sai Akhil made to ‘The Newsmakers’ for getting selected into the prestigious Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19 Team, 2021. Born and raised in Hyderabad, Akhil started playing cricket from the age of 12 in a neighbouring cricket coaching centre called Crick Summer. Department of Student Affairs has scheduled the event for April 26, 2021, at 5 pm.
With constant support from family and well-wishers, Akhil Stepped into his journey of cricket. For three consecutive years, he played for Ramadevi Public School’s National Cricket Tournament. Akhil also played in the Under-16 district tournament for Andhra Pradesh. Sai Akhil informed, “Since my childhood, I have always loved watching and playing cricket. I wanted to pursue my interest in cricket, and thankfully both my family and my university encouraged me towards it”. Accolades and awards did not stop him from concentrating on his goals while focusing on his studies. In his endeavours, Akhil was awarded the “Man of the Match” at Vitopia, the sports and cultural fest organized by the Vellore Institute of Technology-AP. He exclaimed, “I represented SRMAP in finals and was proud to be the part of the moment of victory”.
While speaking of Vinoo Mankad Trophy, Akhil expressed, “We played a district tournament in February this year, and the selected players will perform in the state team. My University offered me huge support during my practice days by reconducting tests and extending the deadline for assignment submissions. Faculty members of my department showed immense trust and encouraged me to do my best”.
This young man has set an example for thousands of enthusiasts who want to follow their passion. With uncompromised practice, perseverance and dedication, one can achieve great things, and Sai Akhil is the best person to convey more about it. Join him on ‘The Newsmakers’ on April 26, 2021, at 5 pm.

"National Symposium on High Energy Physics"-enthralling discussion on Particle Physics, Dark Matter and gravitational waves
2021-05-01 11:00 - 13:00
The Department of Physics, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, has organised a National Symposium on High Energy Physics on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at 11 am. Leading Physicists of the nation are going to share their perspective on the progress and recent challenges in Particle Physics, Dark Matter Physics and Gravitational-Wave Astronomy. Padma Shri awardee Prof Rohini Godbole, theoretical particle physicist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, will present the inaugurating talk on “Status of Particle Physics: in light of Nobel Prizes of 2013 and 2015”. Prof Basudeb Dasgupta from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, will join us for the next session on “The Mystery of Invisible Mass”. The last talk of the day will be given by Prof. Bala Iyer from the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru. He will shed light on “The Detection of Gravitational Waves and the Dawn of Multi-messenger Astronomy”.
Our first speaker of the day, Prof Rohini M Godbole, is a theoretical particle physicist at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangaluru. Over the past three decades, she has worked extensively on particle physics phenomenology, exploring different theoretical aspects of Standard Model and Beyond Standard Model physics at high energy collider experiments. She is an elected fellow of all the three Academies of Science of India and the Science Academy of the Developing World (TWAS). She has published over 200 research papers and received numerous recognitions from all over the world. Prof Godbole co-edited the book “Lilavati’s Daughters”, a collection of biographical essays on women scientists of India, which was published by the Indian Academy of Sciences. In 2019, she was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of the Government of India, for her contribution to Science and Technology.
In 2013, the Nobel prize in Physics was awarded for the theoretical postulate of the Higgs Boson, after the experimental discovery of the same at the LHC in 2012. This was considered being the last missing piece in the periodic table of the Standard Model (SM). In 2015 the Nobel prize in physics was awarded for the experimental discovery of Neutrino oscillations, which is one robust evidence for physics beyond the SM. In her speech, Prof Godbole will comment on the status of particle physics in light of these two and the exciting results on the measurements of the magnetic moment of the muon that have been announced in the previous weeks.
Prof Basudeb Dasgupta is a theoretical physicist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. His research interests include the interfaces of particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology with an emphasis on dark matter and neutrino physics. Prof Dasgupta is also the Leader of the Astroparticle Physics Partner Group of Max-Planck Institute for Physics. Prof Dasgupta is a regular speaker at notable international workshops and conferences and different Science Outreach programmes.
When we look at the night sky, we see a variety of astronomical objects, such as planets, stars, gas clouds, still waiting to form stars to swathe of the emptiness. For a long time, it was believed to be all that the Universe is consists of. The following discoveries came as a huge surprise that all we see and know comprises only about 20% of the matters in the Universe. The remaining 80% is invisible and called “Dark Matter.” What is this dark matter? How do we know that is out there? What is it made of? How can we decipher the nature of this mysterious new ingredient of the cosmic soup? In this talk, Prof Basudeb Dasgupta will address and answer some of these questions.
Prof Bala Iyer is currently the Simons Visiting Professor at ICTS-TIFR Bangalore and CO-PI of the LIGO-India Scientific Collaboration. The alumnus of Bombay University previously worked at the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, on Astrophysical applications of General Relativity, Perturbation methods and Black Holes. Since 1990, he is working on calculations of Gravitational waves from inspiraling binaries of neutron stars and black holes. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation. He has been the Chair of the IndIGO Consortium since its inception in 2009. Prof Iyer was a Member of the Core Team for the LIGO-India Mega-Project Proposal. Further, he is the Chief Editor and Subject Editor of Gravitational Waves for the Online Journal `Living Reviews in Relativity’, published recently by Springer. Prof Bala Iyer has been a Visiting scientist in France, UK, Germany, USA. He has been involved in REAP (Research Education Advancement Programme) for B.Sc students at the Bangalore Planetarium for over two decades and Public outreach on General Relativity and Gravitational Waves.
The first detection of gravitational waves from a black hole binary in 2015 was a breakthrough, taking a century to realise, and made possible by the coming together of a remarkable experiment and an exquisite theory complemented by the best in sophisticated data analyses, state of the art computing and the transition to “big science”. 2017 brought the discovery of gravitational waves from a neutron star binary. The intense associated electromagnetic follow up of this event was spectacular. It heralds the launch of a new multi-messenger astronomy with the potential to impact astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics in the coming decades. Prof Bala Iyer will discuss the nature of gravitational wave and its impact on Physics.
The symposium aims to make students aware of the current status of some of the fascinating research topics of High Energy Physics. Students of basic sciences and engineering streams will be highly inspired and motivated after attending the symposium and listening to the talks. Join the captivating event on May 1, 2021, at 11 am.

Dr Ramana Vinjamuri to expose the fascinating tale of "Synergy Based Human Machine Interfaces"
2021-05-08 10:30 - 11:30
In collaboration with IEEE-SRM Student Branch, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, is organising a highly called for discussion on “Synergy Based Human Machine Interfaces”. The event has been scheduled for May 8, 2021, at 10:30 am. Dr Ramana Kumar Vinjamuri, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Director of Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (Vinjamuri Lab), University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA, will honour us with his presence as the keynote speaker.
Human-machine interface (HMI) has not only become a popular technology but has become the hope of many individuals for restoring their lost limb function. Any HMI has two important intrinsic design components—(i) decode the human commands and (ii) controlling the machine to convert that command into action. Decades of research went into making the interface between the human and the machine seamless but was unable to effectively address the inherent challenges, namely, complexity, adaptability and variability.
To overcome the above challenges, it is critical to computationally understand and quantitatively characterise human sensorimotor control. Emerging areas in HMIs critically depend on the ability to build bioinspired models, experimentally validate them and utilise them in adaptive and intuitive control. The human hand with high dimensionality encompasses the three inherent challenges and may serve as an ideal validation paradigm. How central nervous system (CNS) controls this high dimensional human hand effortlessly is still an unsolved mystery.
To address this high dimensional control problem, many bioinspired motor control models have been proposed, one of which is based on synergies. According to this model, instead of controlling individual motor units, CNS simplifies the control using coordinated control of groups of motor units called synergies. However, there are several unanswered questions today— Where are synergies present in CNS? What is their role in motor control and motor learning? By combining the concepts of human motor control, computational neuroscience, machine learning and validation with noninvasive human experiments, can we answer these fundamental questions? The goal of this research is to develop efficient, seamless and near-natural human-machine interfaces based on biomimetically inspired models.
Dr Ramana Vinjamuri received his PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2008, specialised in dimensionality reduction in control and coordination of human hand from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked as a postdoctoral research associate (2008-2012) in the field of Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI) to control prosthesis in the School of Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh, where he received Mary E Switzer Merit Fellowship from NIDILRR in 2010. Prior to that, he worked as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (2012-2013) in the area of neuroprosthetics. He also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology (2013-2020). In 2018, he received Harvey N Davis Distinguished Teaching Award for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching. He earned the NSF CAREER Award in 2019 and NSF IUCRC Center Planning grant in 2020. His other notable research awards are from USISTEF and New Jersey Health Foundation. He holds a secondary appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
