Due to personal exigencies, Dr Mahesh Rangarajan has requested that he be relieved of his responsibilities as Vice-Chancellor of Krea University. The Chancellor and the Governing Council of Krea University have accepted this request, and placed on record their deep appreciation for Dr Rangarajan’s contributions. Dr Rangarajan will continue to serve as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of History and Environment at Krea University.
Commenting on this, Dr Mahesh Rangarajan said, “Of the many institutions I have worked in, and the positions I have had the honour of serving in, none has given me more pleasure than that at Krea University, not only as Vice-Chancellor but also as a member of the faculty. To me, Krea is and will be more than a University: it stands for a mission to prepare both the teacher and the taught to work for the greater good and excellence in an uncertain world. I am grateful to the staff, students, faculty and all members of the Krea community who have been of great support and helped me at my work. My departure for personal reasons and commitments is a moment of sadness. But as Distinguished Visiting Professor, I look forward to continuing my association and engagement with faculty, students and the Krea community.”
In consultation with its faculty and staff, the University will initiate a search process for the next Vice-Chancellor. In the interim, the Chancellor and the Governing Council have appointed Dr S. Sivakumar as the Officiating Vice-Chancellor until such time that a final appointment is made.
A theoretical physicist, Dr S. Sivakumar – Divisional Chair, Sciences and Professor of Physics at the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences (SIAS) at Krea University, has a PhD in Physics from IIT-Madras. Prior to joining Krea University, he was associated with the Homi Bhabha National Institute and Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI). His wide experience in academia includes faculty positions as Scientist/Professor at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam, Visiting Scientist at Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, and Adjunct Professor at CMI. He has also spent more than two decades researching problems critical to the nation-building objective of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), in addition to mentoring masters and graduate students. Interested in quantum and classical dynamics, and statistical physics, Dr Sivakumar has a passion for teaching and is routinely cited in numerous global publications and top journals.