I wish to take time out of administrative work and continue work in laboratory, says Sharath Ananthamurthy

Sharath Ananthamurthy, new Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University, aims to balance administrative duties with biophysics research.

Sharath Ananthamurthy, who has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University, wants to take some time out of busy administrative work to be in the laboratory and continue his work in biophysics.

Sharath Ananthamurthy, who has a Ph.D. from Iowa University, USA, has been trained in atomic and molecular physics. In recent years, he has been working in biophysics. “My work is on microorganisms. I use the novel tool optical tweezer, whose invention won Arthur Ashkin the Nobel Prize in 2018,” Prof. Ananthamurthy told The Hindu over the phone on Wednesday.

“I am an academic. My first love lies in the laboratory. I want to spend time there with students. I am hoping to make myself free from the administrative work as Vice-Chancellor and fulfil my wish to continue my research,” he said.

He is expected to assume charge of his new responsibility on Thursday.

Asked for his reaction to being chosen for the post, Prof. Ananthamurthy said, “Whenever we make mistakes or act immorally, we invoke the Indian constitution or invoke Mahatma Gandhi. Similarly, in my new job, I will have Kuvempu, the greatest poet, after whom the university has been aptly named. I will be remembering him every day,” he said.

On the challenges that universities face, he said there has been a deep crisis of human resources, inadequate funding for public education, and corruption. “I will make efforts to live up to the expectations of those who appointed me. And, I do not have any self-interest. I have been appointed purely based on my merits and abilities. We will work towards strengthening the academic environment,” he said.

Prof. Ananthmurthy’s father and noted writer, Jnanapitha awardee U.R. Ananthamurthy, also worked as Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, Kerala. Recalling those days, Sharath Ananthamurthy said, “I was doing my Ph.D. at Iowa University when my father was a Vice-Chancellor in Kerala. I noticed his style of functioning whenever I visited him those days. Those days, he spent time interacting with stakeholders at the university. He interacted with students, including those who were on strike. He used to sit with them and engage in a dialogue to sort things out. Now, the times have changed. However, his way of functioning will have an influence on me,” he said.