Awards

• Awarded “Inspirational Teaching Award” by Teaching Learning Centre, BITS Pilani-Hyderabad Campus, September 05, 2024.
• Awarded First Prize under the Theme “Soft Computing Techniques in Water Resources Engineering” for the paper authored by Rohit Dwivedula, Rampalli Madhuri, K Srinivasa Raju and Vasan A., titled “Fuzzy Optimization Framework for Facilitating Best Management Practices in the Context of Urban Floods”, 26th International Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering, HYDRO 2021, Surat, December 23-25, 2021.
• Awarded “Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing” from The Editors of Journal of Hydrology, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 2017.
• Awarded the Best Paper authored by Srinivasa Raju, Gayam Akshara, Ajit Pratap Singh and Vasan A., titled “Application of Multiple Linear Regression as Downscaling Methodology for Lower Godavari Basin”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Water, Environment, Energy and Society, Organized jointly by the Texas A & M University, Texas, USA and AISECT University, Bhopal, India, March 15 – 18, 2016.
• Awarded the Best Paper authored by DV Morankar, KS Raju and Vasan A., titled "Optimal Integrated Water Resources Management for Khadakwasla Complex Reservoir", Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering and Technologies IICET 2015 Organized by i-manager Conferences, Trivandrum, April 10-11, 2015.
• Awarded the Best Paper authored by Vasan A, Aaron Darius Vaz, Prasanth Abraham and Reshmi Nambiar, titled “Optimisation of self-compacting concrete mix design using Bio-Inspired metaheuristic algorithms, Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering and Chemistry of Innovative Materials, organized by Department of Civil Engineering, SRM University, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai, March 13-14, 2014.
• Awarded DST Young Scientist Travel Grant for presenting my research work at the International Conference on Mathematical and Computation Methods in Science and Engineering, June 27-28, 2012, Paris, France.

Administrative Responsibilities

Current

• Senate Member, BITS Pilani
• Member, Departmental Level Selection Committee, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, User Committee for Project Vistaar, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (Since February 2024)
• Member, Academic Council, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana (Since March 2020)
• Member, Employee Exit Review/ Retention Committee, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh (Since June 2021)
• BoS Member, Department of Civil Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Engineering and Technology, Nandyala, Andhra Pradesh (Since October 2021)
• BoS Member, Department of Civil Engineering, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, Mylavaram, Andhra Pradesh (Since May 2022)
• Member, Research Advisory Board, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana (Since October 2023)
• BoS Member, Department of Civil Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of Technology & Science, Warangal, Telangana (Since July 2024)
• Member, Academic Council, NICMAR University of Construction Studies, Shamirpet, Hyderabad, Telangana (Since September 2024)

Past

• External Subject Expert, Faculty Recruitment Interview, Department of Civil Engineering, Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad (June 2023 | October 2023 | June 2025)
• External Subject Expert, Faculty Promotions Interview, Department of Civil Engineering, VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana (February 2025)
• Chairperson, Department Level Performance Evaluation Committee (2023-2024 & 2020-2023), Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member of a committee to formulate a detailed policy and guidelines for designing and implementing the "Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and Super UROP" at BITS Pilani (November 2024)
• Member of a committee to review and redesign the first-year curriculum for incoming First Degree students at BITS Pilani (November 2024)
• Member of a committee to formulate a detailed policy and guidelines for “Teaching and Research Track” specifically for Professors and Senior Professors at BITS Pilani (October 2024)
• External Reviewer, Research Proposal, Fondecyt Research Initiation Project Competition 2025, National Research and Development Agency, Chile (September 2024)
• Member, Internal Quality Assessment of WILP Offerings at BITS Pilani for Instruction and Assessment (July 2024)
• Member, NAAC Team for Mock Visits, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (June 2024)
• Member, Space Audit Committee, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus (February 2024)
• External Expert Member, Faculty Selection Committee, School of Engineering & Sciences, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh (July 2024 | January 2024)
• Member, Interview Panel, Faculty Recruitment, Department of Civil Engineering, Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology, Vishnupuri, Nanded, Maharashtra (August 27-28, 2023)
• Committee Member, To Identify Best Faculty for an Award, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh (September 2025 | September 2024 | August 2023)
• Chairperson, Departmental Level Selection Committee, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (2021-2022)
• Member, Committee to nominate Best Faculty for an Award, NIIT University, Neemrana, Alwar, Rajasthan (November 2022)
• Associate Dean, Academic – Undergraduate Studies, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (September 2018 – September 2021)
• Chairman, Academic Counseling Board, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (September 2018 – September 2021)
• Convener, First Degree Teaching Assistantship Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (September 2018 – September 2021)
• Member of Expert Committee constituted by Government of Telangana to look into the issues related to Intermediate Results in April 2019
• Associate Dean, Instruction Division, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (Jan 2014 – August 2018)
• Member, Project Lakshya: Team: Programs, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Quality Assurance
• Task Force Member & Leader, Mission 2015: Vision 2020, Team: Quality Assurance & Assessment
• Task Force Member, Mission 2012: Vision 2020, Team: Academic Programs & Pedagogy
• Member, Fact Finding Committee of JNTU Hyderabad to the colleges as per the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court for the visit of Self-financing Institution for Grant of Temporary Affiliation for the Academic Year 2014-15
• Head of the Department, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (Oct 2010 to August 2012)
• Faculty In-charge, Educational Hardware Division, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2009 to January 2011; September 2013 to February 2014)
• Faculty In-charge, Instruction Division, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2009 to January 2011)
• Faculty In-charge, Maintenance Unit, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2011 to December 2011)
• Faculty In-charge, Engineering Services Division, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2008 to July 2009)
• Convener, Works Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Convener, Space Planning Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Chairperson, User Council, Hyderabad Campus Growth Plan Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• BoS Member, Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science, Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh
• Member, Examination Committee, BITS Pilani
• Member, Academic Governing Committee, BITS Pilani
• Member, Examination Subcommittee, BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus
• Member, First Degree Merit Scholarship Committee; Merit cum Need Scholarship Committee; Student Aid Fund Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Students Grievances Redressal Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Works Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Student Faculty Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Faculty Induction Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Academic Advisory Council, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Recruitment Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Academic Counseling Board, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, 1.08 Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Member, Library Committee, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Team Member, Centre for Desert Development Technologies, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Member, Library Committee, Civil Engineering Group, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Incharge, Research and Consultancy Activities, Civil Engineering Group, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Incharge, Civil Engineering Association, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Incharge, Civil Engineering Association, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
• Organizing Committee Member for several conferences/ workshops held at BITS, Pilani
• Nucleus Member, Instruction Division, BITS Pilani, Pilani and Hyderabad Campus
• Incharge, Test Scheduling, BITS Pilani, Pilani and Hyderabad Campus
• Incharge, Feedback and Monitoring Cell, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Executive Member, Staff Association, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
• Executive Member, Birla Institutions Community Centre, Pilani
• Program Officer, NSS, BITS Pilani, Pilani and Hyderabad Campus
• Non-Resident Warden, Bhagirath Bhawan, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Contributions during the Administrative Responsibilities Held

Associate Dean, Academic-Undergraduate Studies Division, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2018-September 2021)

• Defined responsibilities and operational framework when the division was formed for the first time, setting clear structures and accountability mechanisms.
• Formed a new cell named as “Data Analytics Cell”. Data available with AUGSD has been collated and analyzed program wise. The various data analysed are grades, MGPV, Attendance, Student Feedback Score, CGPA distribution, No. of Registered Students in Projects and Thesis and minor program data. The analysis file is shared with each HoD for the program they are offering in their department. HoDs share and discuss this with their department colleagues to arrive at a few possible meaningful insights from this analysis and plan for new initiatives in their department.
• Reintroduced the concept of Registration Advisor has been revived from Second Semester 2018-19. All FD students met their Registration Advisors for academic counselling and mentoring on day one before registration. concept of Registration Advisor has been revived from Second Semester 2018-19. All FD students met their Registration Advisors for academic counselling and mentoring on day one before registration.
• Coordinated across four campuses to identify challenges faced by stakeholders in ERP student systems. Instituted regular review meetings to enhance performance and reduce inefficiencies, automating several previously manual activities in the division.
• Designed and framed a specific guidelines booklet for the Departmental Committee on Academics (DCA), in implementing various academic functions, i.e., Course Offering and Allocation of Teaching Responsibilities, Academic Advising, Formation of Student Faculty Councils, Midsem Grading, Grade Moderation and Curriculum Changes Procedure besides Review of Course Handouts and Review of Question Paper & Solutions.
• Introduced redesigned Transcripts, Provisional Certificates, and Minor Certificates from January 2020, incorporating BITS branding standards and advanced security features.
• Played a key role in managing academic sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic by contributing to major policy changes in instruction, evaluation, and grading that ensured academic continuity and fairness.
• Led the design and execution of the complex ERP-based Academic Structure Module, a multi-year project successfully implemented after three years of work. This module provides every student with real-time graduation status reports, enhancing transparency, academic advising, and progression tracking.

Chairman, Academic Counseling Board, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (September 2018 – September 2021)

• Established a process in place to counsel the ACB students to come out of the purview of ACB. Senior faculty members regularly interact with the students. DCA Conveners have also made a team of faculty in their department to counsel and monitor the progress of ACB students. For special cases, the committee interacted with the parents and made suitable actions.

Convener, First Degree Teaching Assistantship Committee, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (September 2018 – September 2021)

• Automated the process of collecting applications from students and introduced clear, structured guidelines for the allocation of teaching assistantships, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and fairness.

Associate Dean, Instruction Division, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (January 2014-August 2018)

• Defined the roles and responsibilities of the staff at ID office so that the time spent by a faculty nucleus member involved in the divisional activities is as minimal as possible.
• Established dedicated cells and encouraged ten faculty members (Assistant Professor & above) to be a part of the nucleus of ID. Delegated the various activities of ID to various cells
• Introduced the concept of a ‘Project Bank’ in 2014 to streamline the project allotment process by compiling faculty-offered projects with available slots and sharing them with students. This system enhanced transparency, improved student–faculty interaction for project selection and was later fully automated to ensure efficiency and ease of access.
• Introduced the concept of year-wise Class Committees at Hyderabad Campus in 2014 to foster regular interaction between faculty and students on academic matters. This initiative provided structured feedback on teaching and student performance, enabling timely corrective measures and creating an environment for constructive two-way dialogue.
• Conducted pilot studies for technology-enabled learning, including biometric-based automatic attendance in a 400-seater classroom and automated lecture recording with integration into the learning management system platform. Collaborated with the Teaching Learning Centre (TLC) to analyze student usage data and assess the impact on teaching–learning effectiveness.

Chairperson, User Council, Hyderabad Campus Growth Plan Committee

• Led extensive stakeholder consultations with HoDs, faculty, and staff to define user requirements for the Hyderabad Campus Growth Plan, and actively collaborated with the Project Team, architects, and contractors to conceptualize, execute, and successfully hand over facilities under the Phase II expansion project.

Task Force Member & Leader, Mission 2015: Vision 2020, Team: Quality Assurance & Assessment

• Had an opportunity to work as a member and later also as the leader of the task force group. Institutionalized several proposals i.e., Constitution of Student Faculty Council; Establishing Teaching Learning Centre; Introduction of Antiplagiarism software Turnitin in Indian Campuses; Grading of Journals; Revised the student feedback questionnaire and process; Partnered with a company to assess the employer satisfaction levels of our graduates; To conduct outgoing student survey. Also submitted several proposals i.e., Introduction of Teaching Awards; To improve the quality of FD thesis, HD dissertation and PhD Thesis and introduction of student awards.

Head of the Department, Department of Civil Engineering, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (Oct 2010 to August 2012)    

• In the formative years of Hyderabad Campus, played a key role in developing laboratory infrastructure by identifying equipment needs, liaising with vendors and overseeing setup. Established systematic documentation practices for departmental activities and initiated regular faculty meetings to foster collaboration, idea-sharing and a conducive environment for departmental growth.

Task Force Member, Mission 2012: Vision 2020, Team: Academic Programs & Pedagogy

• Played an active role in the 2011 curriculum redesign exercise across all campuses for both First Degree and Higher Degree programs. Conducted workshops with HoDs, faculty, and students; designed the benchmarking template; proposed a new curricular structure; and prepared detailed curriculum charts for all programs.

Faculty In-charge, Instruction Division, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2009-January 2012)

• Took charge in 2009 and established the operations based on my experience of working in Instruction Division at Pilani Campus

Faculty In-charge, Educational Hardware Division, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2009-January 2011; September 2013-February 2014)

• Drafted the first purchase policy document during my tenure for Hyderabad Campus.
• Clearly defined the roles and responsibilities for all staff members and streamlines several operations at the division

Faculty In-charge, Maintenance Unit, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2011-December 2011)

• Streamlined the renewal process for outsourced activities by standardizing contract management, obtaining competitive quotations from ISO-certified companies and ensuring greater efficiency and compliance in operations.

Faculty In-charge, Engineering Services Division, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (August 2008-July 2009)

• Served in the first administrative role at Hyderabad Campus from its inception, setting up essential infrastructure—including printers, reprography, and projectors—to ensure smooth functioning of the institute during its foundational phase.

Member, Visiting Advisory Committee visits for BITS Pilani

• Designed the documentation proforma and coordinated with all departments across all campuses to organize Visiting Advisory Committee visits. Facilitated interactions where faculty and students shared feedback with external advisors, contributing to institutional improvement and quality assurance.

Volunteer for many other initiatives at Hyderabad Campus

• Coordinated cross-divisional presentations and the first campus-wide review to strengthen institutional processes and information sharing. Took active leadership in community-building by organizing sports, cultural and welfare activities, while also overseeing key infrastructure initiatives such as staff housing interiors, car sheds, TBI and placement areas, and supporting the Auditorium construction. Additionally, led major campus events including Foundation Day celebrations and Abhinandhan marking Phase I completion.

Member, Recruitment Committee, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

• Headed the faculty recruitment committee in the formative years of Hyderabad Campus on behalf of the Director, playing a key role in attracting and appointing quality faculty to build the institute’s academic foundation.