Meenakshi Nandula

Assistant Professor
Humanities
Departmental Academic Officer, First Year Engineering
Qualification

M.Phil. (English), 2016
Maharashtra State Eligibility Test (English) 2015
M.A. (English), Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 2001
B.Com., Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 1998

Experience

Teaching Experience: 17 Years
Technical Papers Published: 04

My formative years were spent in Howrah (West Bengal) at five minutes walking distance from the famous Botanical Garden (home to The Great Banyan Tree). My high schooling was completed at Kolkata, where I was always in awe of the iconic buildings, the charming tram rides, the fervour of Durga Pujo festivities, and the delicious aroma of authentic Bengali sweets wafting around every street corner. Kolkata has taught me a lot about creativity and being resilient. I have spent only eight years of my life at my native place in Andhra Pradesh where I pursued graduation and postgraduation at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. This short stint has taught me to respect my roots and culture. I am glad to share that I have maintained strong academic credentials throughout my schooling tenure and I have consistently been a topper in the course of my college education. Since 2003, I have made Mumbai my home, and there is something to learn every day from this pulsating maximum city, where talent and hard work are always rewarded.

It feels wonderful to be associated with Vidyalankar Institute of Technology since 2008. I feel privileged to have been mentored by the former Chairperson Late Dr. Sanjeewani Deshpande, who was an inspiration with her impeccable command over the English language and her passion for lifelong learning. VIT has always emphasized on developing professional soft skill sets in the student community. As the In-Charge of the Humanities Department, it was good to establish the language lab, mentor students who hail from vernacular medium of instruction, and to kindle the spark of reading and creative writing among students.

I believe that effective communication skills are pivotal for maintaining relevance within the global professional environment. Considered as one of the twelve key Graduate Attributes in engineering education, they are recognised by the industry as highly coveted skills in the ever-evolving physical and virtual workspace. To inculcate communication skills, build confidence in students and equip them for their future careers, I strive to make my sessions of Professional Communication and Ethics and Business Communication and Ethics learner-centric and engaging, with active use of multimedia in the classroom. Students take centre stage in my practical sessions as they polish their soft skill set through a diverse set of activities such as creating/updating their LinkedIn profiles, participating in mock interviews and group discussions, public speaking, playing instructional games, skits and role play sessions, taking online verbal proficiency tests, giving constructive feedback to peers, discussing on book reviews and delivering presentations.

I like to explore my skills in content creation and editing. I have handled multiple institute level documentation responsibilities, guided students in editing and publishing the annual magazine V Express, coordinated and edited the news bulletin Vector, and the e-newsletter Vibes. I have contributed towards initiating the Literary Council and worked with student teams to organize events such as Model United Nations, Mock Parliament, essay writing, Pictionary, debate competitions and other literary events.

I am passionate about learning, reading, word games and designing presentations. The crux of my teaching philosophy is that “a good teacher must be a lifelong learner.” My journey of learning continues…