Beginning in the 1980s, Dhanalakshmi M, was one of the many dedicated telephone operators at IISc for over three decades. She was born on 13 May 1957 in Bangalore, and completed her BSc in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology from Maharani’s College. After a diploma in ‘Reception and Bookkeeping’ from Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic, Bangalore, she […]
Moving from serene Coorg to bustling Bangalore, Ranganayaki Mallur Krishnaswamy forged a career path unusual for women in her time. Born to a renowned veterinary doctor in Coorg in 1948, she finished her schooling in Pollibetta Taluk and later completed a Pre-University Course (PUC) in the small town of Virajpet, Karnataka. Despite the challenges of […]
B Sridhar joined IISc in 1986 soon after he received his Master’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore. For 36 years – until he retired in 2022 – he was in charge of the Garden and Nursery Unit at the Institute, and was responsible for maintaining the greenery on campus. […]
Mythra Gangadharaiah joined IISc in 1969 and worked at the Institute until she took voluntary retirement in 2003. She initially worked in Unit III, the postal section in charge of sending and receiving the Institute’s correspondence with the outside world. After two years, she was posted to the office of the JRD Tata Memorial Library, […]
AL Narasimhan joined IISc in 1965. At the time, he was 25, had just completed an MSc degree in statistics, and had also just fled from a job in Gulbarga, Karnataka, after only a month. Despite this false start, he got the chance to join IISc, and begin a lifelong career in administration. During the […]
Sudarshan KV joined IISc in 1966. He worked in the Budget Section before serving as Office Supervisor in the Centre for Sponsored Schemes and Projects. After opting for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in 1998, he served in the Pensioners’ Association at the Institute for over 10 years. Having been born on campus, his association […]
K Nagarathna joined IISc in June 1977 at the age of 23. She was the only daughter of her parents, with five brothers who studied science and engineering. Nagarathna dreamed of joining the Institute ever since one of her brothers pointed out to her IISc’s ‘tower’ on the horizon from a temple in Basavanagudi. […]
Dwarakanathan R, a former glassblower, has worked at IISc for 47 years. Now officially retired, the 71-year-old self-proclaimed “workaholic” maintains machinery at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE). In this interview, he talks to CONNECT about what it’s like to be a glassblower, his love for the artistic possibilities of glasswork, and his […]
Before computers and CAD design, depicting scientific concepts and results in graphs and sketches was challenging. CONNECT spoke to two retired draughtsmen from IISc, Sathyanarayana and Ramesh Babu, who translated these into detailed hand drawings. How did you come to join IISc? Sathyanarayana: I was an apprenticeship trainee in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) […]
When AV Leelavathi joined IISc in 1964, her entry to the Institute was quite unplanned. While studying at a friend’s house one day, the friend received a visit from someone who had gone to IISc to pick up an application form for the post of Stenographer for his sister. He had been given three […]
