Dr. Mallika Alapati, a distinguished academician with 19 years of teaching and five years of research experience, serves as the Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology. Holding a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering since 2013, she specializes in Structural Engineering. With an additional six years in Structural Design consultancy, she brings a wealth of practical expertise. Dr. Alapati has made substantial contributions to academia, showcasing a diverse teaching portfolio, novel learning techniques adoption, and active involvement in curriculum design. Notably, she has organized and convened numerous conferences, workshops, and seminars. A prolific researcher, Dr. Alapati's interests span Finite Element Analysis, Earthquake Engineering, and Structural Health Monitoring. Beyond her academic prowess, she actively engages in consultancy projects, contributing to the real-world application of her expertise. Her commitment to education is further evidenced by mentoring students, participating in committees, and receiving prestigious awards for academic excellence.

VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology

What motivated you to pursue a career in academia and take on the role of the Head of the Civil Engineering Department at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology?

I have a passion for continuous learning, researching and sharing my experience with the younger generations in the field of Civil Engineering, especially by bridging the gap between academia and the field. I also enjoy updating myself, educating, and motivating the students with the latest trends in interdisciplinary concepts and technologies. This has driven me to take a career in teaching.

What is your vision for the Civil Engineering Department at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, and how do you plan to achieve it?

The department, as a dynamic team with an objective of marching towards excellence in teaching, research and student professional progression is doing well in all aspects and aims to continue performing excellently. To achieve the department's vision, it is ensured that students are imparted with a solid foundation in the basics of civil engineering through excellent teaching, to prepare them to achieve high-level technical expertise in the fields of Civil Engineering, and to excel in the design and construction of various components or systems of Civil Engineering and to make them capable of pursuing higher studies and research. To equip students with modern professional abilities such as effective communication, collaborative work in diverse teams, ethical decision-making, successful management of personal and professional career objectives and passion for continuous development through lifelong learning.

How do you ensure that the department's curriculum remains current and aligned with the latest advancements in the field of Civil Engineering?

Curriculum design or revision is done through numerous brainstorming sessions within the department with the inputs and feedback of alumni, and industry. With the input and approval of boards of studies that consist of experts from higher learning institutions, industry, and alumni curricular aspects are designed. The department has more than ten MoUs with the industry and is continuously taking feedback from the industry on what to include in the curriculum. Based on the latest advancements in the industry, elective courses are offered and delivered by industry experts. The curriculum also encompasses many interdisciplinary courses enabling them to pursue their higher education and placements. Updation is brought in terms of new software tools, and new or advanced/sustainable materials and are added through elective courses. The latest updates are also through problem-solving programming courses like C, JAVA, PYTHON, etc., multidisciplinary elective courses and tracks on Sensor technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and many more. Our curriculum also encompasses design thinking, practical approaches to learning, and awareness of real-life socio-economic problems to solve societal problems. Encouraging the culture of start-up ideas and inculcating entrepreneurship activities within and beyond the curriculum are the key aspects of the educational system.

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What measures and programs are in place to support the holistic development of students within the Civil Engineering Department, including academic, personal, and career growth?

The department offers many training and certification programs to equip the students with the latest skills and computation tools required to pursue higher education, internships, and placements. Guest lectures, industrial visits, and professional society activities will ensure exposure to the field happenings in the civil engineering industry. Communication skills, working in teams, etc. are imparted to the students through the communication skills laboratory and other core laboratories and research projects.

How do you attract and retain experienced and qualified faculty members within the department, and what strategies are in place to ensure their professional development?

The work culture in the department is such that a more professional ecosystem is established to promote knowledge sharing through Special interest groups, research interest groups, etc. The department has a very healthy professional ecosystem and retention is more than 85%. The faculty are encouraged to update their knowledge through MOOCS courses and upgrade their qualifications to doctoral and post-doctoral qualifications. The department has more than 65% of its faculty as doctorates (20 doctorates out of 33). Our faculty are well qualified from IITs, NITs and state universities across the disciplines of CE.

What efforts has the department made to foster collaboration with the automotive industry, and how do these collaborations benefit students and the department as a whole?

Our department has 11 active MOUs with the industry. As part of the MoUs, students are getting placed, taken to field visits, and offered internships. A few of our faculty members are also on the advisory boards of the industry. We offer consultancy services (both design and material testing) to the industry with our faculty expertise.

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Could you highlight recent improvements in departmental infrastructure and laboratories that have enhanced the learning experience for students?

Our department has state-of-art laboratories promoting research and experimentation beyond the curriculum. In the recent past, we have established laboratory facilities like the Structural Engineering Laboratory with 100 T loading tests and lateral loading facilities. DGPS and drones are also procured in the surveying laboratory to give exposure to the latest trends in surveying Computerized Compression testing machines, flexi-wall permeameters, Atomic absorption spectrometers etc. to name a few. Computational facilities are excellent, with Bently bundle package, ANSYS, MAT Lab, SPSS, PLAXIS, Geoslope, CTRAN, VISSIM and Visum etc being part of the curriculum and teaching the students to do their projects in simulation and design.

In your opinion, what are the primary challenges facing the field of Civil Engineering today, and how is the department addressing these challenges?

In the present-day scenario, the parents’ aspirations rather than the student’s passions play an important role in the selection /option of the engineering disciplines in India. Numerous factors, like pay packages, working conditions, etc. affect the selection procedures. Can a branch assure employability and a high pay package? Not all civil engineers will stand in the sun and soil their dresses, nor will all Computer Science engineers be happy in the confines of plush offices. Looking at the big picture in the next decade, infrastructure development in India will be the third largest construction market globally, with its contribution to GDP increasing to 15% by 2030 and there is a need to develop over 170 million houses. Around 51,000 km of roads are expected to be developed as motorways under the Bharatmala project, with the technology intervention to accelerate the speed of constructing the highways by 50 km per day. Moreover, smart solutions using digital twin technologies in all the core domain areas require important infrastructure.

What advice would you offer to students and aspiring professionals interested in pursuing a career in Civil Engineering?

Student aspirants should understand that long-term role stability will bring security of professional status and pay packages. The IT industry’s trends of employing multiple entry roles in place of single, highly paid jobs lead to job insecurity and working under stress in the long run. Whereas the core sector gives exponential growth in stable and paying terms. The changes are inevitable not only in the fast-changing technologies and social and economic outcomes but should also be in the minds of the aspirants. The infrastructure field is ever-booming in developing countries like India. Core Civil Engineering with a blend of minor degrees will have a great and promising future.