Dr. Venkata Rama Rao Mallela is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad. His educational qualifications include B.Tech in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, M.Tech in Structural Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, India and PhD from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Besides, he completed Postdoctoral research work at the Department of Computer Science, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium in the area of Fuzzy Finite Element Analysis. He stood second in JNTU, Kakinada in his B.Tech. He was awarded a Ph.D. degree by Osmania University for the thesis “Analysis of Cable-stayed bridges by Fuzzy-finite element modeling” in the year 2005. His PhD thesis is posted online at the Reliable Computing website maintained by the University of Texas, El Paso. He has a large number of research publications at international level and is listed on Google Scholar. He is an authorized supervisor for PhD scholars of the Civil Engineering department of Osmania University. He is a reviewer for several international journals.

Vasavi College of Engineering

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

“To focus on the growth and development of my students”

I have been working in the college for the past 29 years. Throughout this time, I have been actively involved in the growth and development of my students. Besides teaching the students some important subjects of Structural Engineering, I am also involved in guiding and mentoring the students. I am regularly involved in talking to students about various aspects viz. subject content, intellectual stimulation, general life-advice and motivation, career guidance etc. With this experience of interacting with the students, I understand that students need someone to support them intellectually, spiritually, and philosophically and provide them an elderly advice on various aspects of life and career. I try my best to support my students as much as I can. In my opinion, showing parental affection on students and interacting with them with kindness have a profound impact on the students’ holistic development.

What are your views upon the placements and higher education about the students from your department?

“Encourage students to participate in Campus Placement and Higher Education”

A strong emphasis is laid on motivating the students to take up higher education and campus placements. Right from the third semester, our students are given training in technical skills and soft skills as a part of Finishing School. At the end of sixth semester and before the beginning of final year, students are given intensive training to face interviews and campus placements. Students are encouraged to take up industry-relevant and research-oriented project work in their final year. In fact, several outside industrial and research organizations collaborate with the department to let the final year students to pursue their final project work. Many students of my department opt for placements in various reputed organizations and higher education in reputed institutions in India and abroad every year. In fact, the alumni of our department are found in large numbers in the USA, Europe, Middle East, and other corners of the world. As a senior Professor, I identify the students with various abilities to choose suitable careers. For example, students with research abilities are encouraged to take up research-oriented projects so that they can pursue higher education in India and abroad. Similarly, students with leadership traits are mentored to take up entrepreneurial activities/startup companies etc. 

What advice would you like to give to the students to have a prosperous career ahead?

“Students should have self-confidence and work hard”

Every specialization of engineering is inherently valuable to achieve the sacred goal of nation-building. A student needs to imbibe subject knowledge with interest and enthusiasm and get trained in communication skills, soft skills, interpersonal and social skills while being aware of human values and ethics in professional practice. Professionalism that involves total dedication to one’s chosen profession coupled with hard work, self-confidence, and humility will go a great way in ensuring a great career for a student.

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What are the approaches you bring in apart from curriculum to teach the students?

“Students are trained to acquire communication skills and soft skills”

Students need to learn beyond the curriculum to keep themselves in tune with the latest advances in their field of specialization. Learning beyond curriculum shall in fact become a tradition of lifelong learning outside the four walls of the classroom. Our students at the Department of Civil Engineering are trained to acquire communication skills, soft skills by participation in co-curricular activities viz. paper presentation contests, poster presentations, model building, organization of student conferences etc. and extracurricular activities offered by several clubs managed by various departments of the college. Participation in these activities is made mandatory so that no student misses out any activity. Expert lectures are organized for the benefit of students by inviting eminent people from reputed industries/ research organizations/ institutions. In addition, field visits are organized on a regular basis to bring in awareness of the latest advances in the field of Civil Engineering. 

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition?

“Providing Students with Skill enhancing programs and hence knowledge”

I take it as my duty and personal responsibility to informally interact with many of my students on a regular basis. This interaction often allows the students to share their goals, dreams as well as their insecurities and apprehensions to face challenges of the outside world. I try to share my own struggles and experiences with them so that students can establish a bonding with me. Then I try to offer suggestions to the best of my knowledge. This process has often proved to be very fruitful in making the students face the challenges thrown in by tough competition with confidence. My students, over the past three decades have kept in constant touch with me and speak to me regularly. In fact, there are many students who continue to seek advice and guidance long after they leave the college. This established a lifelong bonding between me and my students and helped me to make a positive contribution to their careers.

What is the rate of admissions in your college? 

“The rate of admission in our college has increased to a great extent in the past four decades”

Vasavi College of Engineering was established in the year 1981 and has been in existence for the past four decades. True to its age, the college reached a maturity in shaping the careers of thousands of students during these years. The college is one the topmost colleges of excellence in technical education in the twin Telugu states and is well sought after by students and parents alike. The demand for a seat in the college has been ever increasing, thanks to the tireless efforts of a visionary management, dedicated Principal, and his team of faculty members of various departments. The quality of education offered by the institution is enhancing year after year, especially after the college was granted autonomy (2(f) and 12(B) status) to the college. by the UGC in the year 2014. The institution is accredited by NAAC with A++ grade. Six UG Programs of the college got accredited for the third time by NBA from 10-04-2017 to 30-06-2020. Three PG programs are also accredited. The college attracts some of the best talent in the country who work hard to reach higher positions in their career through hard work and dedication.

Do you have any extra curricular programs to enhance the skills of students?

“Our Extracurricular Programs expose students to real world challenges”

The college has made it mandatory for the students to participate in extracurricular activities carried out by various clubs run by departments. These clubs take up activities such as painting, elocution, dramatics, poetry etc. try to hone the innate talents and abilities of the students.

What are the new programs you introduced at your college?

“Recently, our college introduced B.E programs in AI and ML”

The college introduced a B.E program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning in the Department of Computer Science. The college makes continued efforts to introduce new programs time to time in tune with the needs of the industry.

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Till date, what has been your average package offered to the student?

“The highest package offered to our student is 22.75 LPA”

Overall, I can proudly say that God has given me a great opportunity to take up the noble profession of teaching in a reputed institution. In fact, these three decades of my teaching career have given me a great opportunity to keep learning for a lifetime and share my knowledge with my students. The highest package offered to the students is INR 22.75 LPA.