If you’re a science geek and love experimenting with everything you see, you would love to sit in on one of Professor T Vishwam’s lectures. Unlike the usual bombarding of theories and formulae, Vishwam’s classes are full of life, a place where students get to discover the world around them. Vishwam, an associate professor at GITAM University, Vizag grew up in a family of teachers; both his father and grandfather were teachers.
As a child, he was very inquisitive about everything. “I would constantly dismantle gadgets at home, and then try to reassemble them. I was fascinated with light and later on with hydroelectricity. Once I collected firecrackers at school, put them all into a tube and dunked them in water. It caused such a loud noise that the whole school heard it and I was reprimanded by the principal,” Vishwam recalls with a laugh.
Vishwam went on to do his bachelor’s from MNR Degree College, Kukatpally and his master’s from Shadan PG College, Khairatabad, Hyderabad following which he cleared the GATE exam in Electronics and Communication and joined IIT Madras in 2002. “IIT Madras changed my life. If there was anything that inspired me to become a teacher, it was my professors there. The kind of support they gave the students inspired me to want to do the same,” says the 37-year-old.
Vishwam was always passionate about teaching scientific concepts, fundamentals principles and how things work. He says, “The aim of education is to teach students how to think rather than what to think. The passion for teaching students and enlightening them with topics of their interest is the driving force behind my experience as a teacher. The practical applicability of the topics I teach in the classroom is a constant force that enables me to encourage the students to explore the possible areas of research. I would also encourage students to update themselves with the latest trends in emerging areas of study. This is possible only through the up gradation of the existing knowledge in any field.”
Providing students with a comfortable environment for working in and seeing them implement new methods is something that motivates him to introduce the latest trends in science and technology in his classroom. To enhance the learning process, Vishwam uses group activities and discussion forums which enable him to reach out to every student. In addition, to ensure that students are aware of the latest trends in the field of Physics and Material Science, experts from different fields are invited for lectures and interaction with the students.
Vishwam’s areas of research include microwave dielectric characterization studies of biological materials, quantum chemistry, liquid crystals, and nanomaterials. His work has been published in more than 25 national and international journals. Apart from regular teaching, Vishwam has also published more than 35 research papers in reputed international and national journals. But the driving force behind his passion for science is his desire to contribute to society. Not only does he teach government school students through the learning aids, he also encourages all his students to come up with technologies that make life easier for the underprivileged.
