IIT Dharwad

Prof. P. Seshu
From 07 March 2017 to 30 September 2022

Prof. Seshu has had an outstanding educational background, being the Gold Medallist in Class XII (first rank in Andhra Pradesh) and B. Tech. (First rank in NIT, Warangal). He has been on the faculty of IIT Bombay since 1989

His research interests are primarily in Computational Mechanics with applications in biomedical engineering, robotics, smart structures and vehicle dynamics. He has been involved in several sponsored R&D projects. He has published extensively in National/International Journals and Conferences. He has organized courses and executed projects for companies like Apollo Tyres, Applied Materials, Automotive Research Association of India, Bajaj Auto, BHEL, CEAT Ltd., Crompton Greaves, General Motors, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra, Nuclear Power Corporation, Reliance Industries. He was a visiting scientist to Universities in USA, Germany and UK.

Extremely popular among students, Prof. Seshu has won the IIT Bombay Excellence in Teaching Award twice in 2004 and 2008, Prof. Jaganmohan Memorial Award twice in 2009 and 2016, and the DP Joshi Award in 2016 -- all the awards based on students' evaluation. His widely referred textbook on Finite Element Method has been reprinted every year for almost two decades and is a prescribed book in many Universities as well as the Model Curriculum of AICTE.

Prof. Seshu has championed the IIT Bombay research internship scheme, under which hundreds of bright young students from all over the country have spent their summers and winters in IIT Bombay Labs. He has also steered the IIT Bombay student teams' participation in global high-tech competitions with exemplary success.

He was heading CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling And Computer Simulation (CSIR C-MMACS) during 2010-2014 (on deputation from IIT Bombay) and was also the Director of the group of CSIR Labs called the Information Science Cluster. Prof. Seshu was instrumental in setting up the then India’s largest CPU based supercomputer in the Institute and nurturing “computational science” in CSIR. Under his leadership, CSIR C-MMACS has been repositioned as CSIR Fourth Paradigm Institute (CSIR-4PI) focusing on high-end computing and big data science. Prof. Seshu also served as the Dean (Mathematical and Information Sciences), AcSIR from 2012-'14.

Prof. Seshu served as the National Convener, DST's Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY – Engg) from 2007-'10. He served on the National Expert Committee for Design Review, Arjun Battle Tank Repair and Recovery Vehicle, DRDO. He also served on the Research Council of CSIR Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur.

He is a member of the Boards of IIIT Dharwad, IIIT Raichur, IISER Trivandrum. He is a member of the Academic Council of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore. Prof. P. Seshu is the Chairman of the Apex committee for DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory – Asymmetric Technologies.

As the Founder Director of IIT Dharwad, Prof. Seshu is passionate about nurturing a receptive and flexible learning environment in the Institute that encourages well- rounded development of the students. Under his thoughtful leadership, the Institute has emphasised a “360° approach to multi-disciplinary R&D with societal relevance” by its highly qualified faculty.