Dr.Sunitha Ravi is a distinguished academician and able administrator with more than 25 years of experience. She has grown from the ranks right here in the institute, starting his teaching career as a Lecturer in the year 1995. She obtained her Ph.D. from K.L Educational Society, Vijayawada, and her Master's from V.R Siddhartha Engineering College, Vijayawada. She has published 12 research papers in various reputed National and International journals, besides a couple of patents to his credit. In her impressive teaching and administrative career, she has consistently promoted innovative teaching practices and imaginative thinking. She has endeared herself to her students and colleagues alike through her affable nature and empathetic leadership style.

Check NRI Institute of Technology

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/

Being a HOD of College, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

My responsibilities as a Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering are quite comprehensive. It includes a perspective plan, setting goals for implementation preliminary with the Design of curriculum and courses, ensuring quality education to students, encouraging R & D in the Department, Mentoring and evaluating faculty, Conducting FDPs for their proficiency, Assigning workload and responsibilities to hold in the department, endowing with academic Counseling and addressing student concerns and grievances, organizing SDPs, co-curricular activities, encouraging them to do projects, collaborate with industry and institutes for internships, projects and Industrial visits, evaluating the quality of the department, prepare for NAAC, NBA accreditations, regularly communicate with students and faculty, represent department in college meetings and committees.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty members?

I maintain healthy relations with students by always being in reach with them, and by paying attention to their queries, anxieties, feedback, insecurities, etc. Since we have students from diverse backgrounds, I treat them with esteem and courteousness. We always plan to encourage students to be proactive in technologies, event management, teamwork, and curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities. Constructive feedback is collected from students every semester to assess their opinions on the department, faculty, facilities, and their expectations. An action plan will be taken based on feedback.

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects and make it industry-oriented?

The department implements a few strategies to prepare the students for real-world challenges by organizing Guest lectures from Industry resource persons and academicians and conducting workshops/ seminars/ industrial visits/internship programs. The curriculum is designed such that students gain hands-on experience in labs during practical sessions by using hardware/simulation tools. Students' assessment is made by testing their problem-solving skills, presentations, projects, etc.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students that help them gain the necessary skills?

The department embraces innovative teaching methodologies such as presentations, lecture videos, online teaching, usage of simulation tools, encouraging students for interdisciplinary courses, providing state-of-the-art equipment and software for practical approach, providing flexibility to choose professional and open elective courses based on their interest in hardware/software fields. The department promotes projects, internships, and research opportunities to participate in national-level competitions, thereby incorporating teamwork, working under targets and deadlines, and social responsibility. Continuous assessment is done in the department to ensure quality.

How do you strategize the curriculum and how often does it get updated to make it beneficial for the students?

Feedback is taken from faculty and outgoing students every academic year to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement in the department. A meeting will be conducted with stakeholders to analyze feedback and envisage the vision and mission, long and short-term goals. The program outcomes for each course are verified and based on outcomes the curriculum is revised every three years.

Check NRI Institute of Technology Placement

How does your department prepare students for higher education?

Students are encouraged to maintain strong academic track records with high CGPAs and zero backlogs for admissions into Master's programs within the country and abroad. Makeover and Remedial classes are conducted for slow learners. Faculty are assigned as mentors to students to train them for higher studies and competitive examinations. Letter of Recommendation for higher education is provided by these mentors.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to the real-world challenges?

The department conducts extra-curricular programs to hone students' skill sets for personal and professional development. The department has a student’s club named E-SPARCS (Electronics Society for Promoting Arts, Research, Culture and Sports). The students play an active role in hosting and conducting several programs. The outcome is they learn to organize, conduct, participate, team building, work within time limits, handle pressure, and come up with an instant plan when there is no plan. Participation in projects and hackathons exposes them to diverse environments and allows them to connect with industry experts, and professionals, compete with their peers, and identify new problems to find solutions. Apart from this students also provide community service to the nearby villages through social service activities.

When you came to the college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

When I took the role of a Dean in the Department 11 years ago, I aimed to create an environment where faculty could thrive in teaching and research, students could excel in education, and the department be recognized for its successful contributions to the institution. I envisioned research and innovation, collaborations, and community engagement. As a Head of the Department I aimed to enhance the quality of department programs, ensuring that students receive an outstanding education, provide opportunities for practical experience and a strong foundation. In these eleven years, I invested in faculty development, Curriculum enhancement, student success, Research productivity, Interdisciplinary collaboration, state-of-the-art facilities, and Strategic planning and community engagement. Looking forward, my vision is to keep expanding on our accomplishments, growing our R&D wing, reinforcing organizations, and giving significantly more open doors to student and faculty achievement. I’m focused on driving the department towards supported eminence and appreciation.

What do you see as the department’s greatest strengths and how can they be enhanced?

The greatest strength of the department is the faculty’s expertise. The students are offered a wide range of courses and research opportunities. Access to cutting-edge technology and equipment helps students and faculty with hands-on learning and research. Collaborations made by the department provide students with internships, projects, and placement opportunities. A curriculum with major and minor courses helps students choose their field of interest.

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career?

My advice to students is to choose consider their strengths and align them with their interests and passion, to communicate with their professors, mentors, and classmates when help is needed. I mostly guide students to gain hands-on work experience along with academic knowledge to critically think, analyze, and develop problem-solving skills to achieve innovative solutions. Of course in the modern era soft skills and networking are vital. I recommend students pursue advanced degrees to improve their quality. I would like to advocate upholding professional and ethical standards and maintaining a balance to ensure long-term career satisfaction.