Lecturer-in-residence
Immersive sessions where visiting scientists share front-line discoveries.
Program overview
Every academic year, we host distinguished scientists. The Foundation covers speaker travel, accommodation, and logistical coordination, provides essential resources to support departments, and offers an honorarium in recognition of the speaker’s time and contribution.
Recent event
Speaker: Prof. Ajit Kembhavi — Emeritus Professor, IUCAA Pune; Principal Investigator, Pune Knowledge Cluster.
AI and the Cosmos: An accessible overview of machine learning and deep learning, highlighting how modern AI—powered by massive data from astronomical telescopes and supported by citizen science—has become an essential tool for discovery in astronomy and beyond.
Black Holes – Finding Them, Measuring Them, Seeing Them: A concise journey through the theory and observation of black holes, explaining their origin in general relativity, how astronomers detect and measure them, and how humanity achieved the first-ever image of a black hole.
Past event
Speaker: Dr. K Rajanna — Former Professor and Chairman, Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), IISc Bengaluru.
This lecture provides an overview of thin-film–based sensor research, highlighting key deposition techniques and their role in sensor development. It showcases work at IISc on tactile, acoustic, impact, and MEMS-based sensors, with brief insights into fabrication and performance evaluation.
Past event
Speaker: Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy — Fellow of the Royal Society; J. C. Bose National Fellow, IISc Bengaluru.
The lecture explored "Active Matter", showing how concepts from condensed matter physics help explain autonomous motion and collective behaviors—from random walks to flocking—bridging living and non-living systems.
Past event
Speaker: Dr. Girish Manjunath Gouda — Scientist, ISRO Bengaluru & Head, Thin Films Division, LEOS.
The talk covers advanced materials for space applications—such as optical thin films, nanomaterials, and metal oxides—and briefly highlights their use in satellites, remote sensing, Earth observation, and space exploration.
Past event
Speaker: Dr. Shripad T Revankar — Professor and Director of Multiphase and Fuel Cell Research Labs, Pursude University, USA.
The talk addresses the methods of calculating the risk from accidental radioactive material release into the environment from any of the 460 nuclear plants around the world.
Past event
Speaker: Prof. S. Umapathy — Director, IISER Bhopal; Professor, IISc Bengaluru; Special Professor, University of Nottingham.
The talk highlighted how advanced laser Raman spectroscopy enables femtosecond-resolved studies of molecular dynamics, nanoscale structure, and diverse applications ranging from materials science to biology, medicine, and hidden chemical imaging.
