Prof. Kolluri reminisces about Shri. G.R. Damodaran

Shri G.R. Damodaran was an extraordinarily motivated person in the development of education in general and the P.S.G Institutions in particular. As a professor and chairperson of the Physics and Materials Science department, I worked closely with him for fifteen years.   He was known to one and all, affectionately as GRD.

I remember that I used to meet him practically everyday.  On most working days at 8 AM, he would come over to the Physics Department and ask, 'Professor Vandara'?  (Has the Professor arrived?).  One of the lab technicians would run over to me and say 'Periavar Vandaru' (the Respected Senior is here).

We would then meet and talk. He would ask how the research was proceeding.  And I would provide him an anecdote or actual evidence of progress.  He was eager to see progress and innovation.

I cannot sufficiently express the importance of a senior executive, the head of the institution no less, making such consistent and detailed inquiry to my motivation to do well.

The Interview

My first encounter with GRD was in October 1969, when I came for the interview for the Professor's position. I was very young at that time, having turned 33 years and had just returned from the US after post-doctoral work at John's Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

During the interview, seeing all the senior people sitting outside the interview room, I had no hope of getting the job. I walked into the interview hall with only a camera in my hand.  There were five people sitting, two on either side and one at the head of the long table. Naturally, I did not know who they were, except that they were going to interview me.

The light was falling on his back and I could not see his face clearly but, the man at the head of the table looked majestic, with broad shoulders and a round face with receding hair. I did not know who he was but he definitely looked important. The others started asking me questions about my background, my work and so on.

But the person at the head of the table stayed silent.  After a long time into the interview, he asked, 'why did you bring a camera to the interview?'

I was flabbergasted at this totally unexpected question.  Only later, did I come to know of his interest in cameras and photography.

I replied, 'I have heard a lot of great things about the PSG Institution.  I wanted to come and see for myself.  And even If I do not get the job, I can take photographs of the institution and some nice memories with me'.

He did not say anything more.  The others continued with their questions.

When I thought that the interview was coming to an end, he asked, 'You said that you can do lot of things. How do we know that you can actually do all of them?'

I was young, inexperienced but confident. I said,' If I am given five years, I will produce the first research paper from this department.  If I do not, I will gladly quit the job'!

The others appeared surprised by my reply, but not him. He just smiled. The interview was finally over.

Three months later, I was surprised to be offered professorship at the college.

The Conference

Three years into my tenure as professor at the college, we had started B.Sc and M.Sc Materials Science, all with GRD's help and encouragement.

But I was having trouble getting research started.  And I was 2 years away from keeping my promise of quitting, if I did not produce a research paper.

There was no way we could start research work since we had no research grant money. We were in catch-22 situation - unless we had done some research, we could not get funds and unless we got funds we could not do research! 

I then got an idea to generate funds.  I approached GRD and proposed that the college host an International Summit on Electro-Optics.

He did not ask me how I will do it or even when. He just asked 'Can you do it?'

His confidence in whom he trusted, was enormous.

With distinguished guests for the conference

The rest is a long story.  Prof. B.R Rao, who was the Chairman of The University Grants Commission (UGC), came to inaugurate the conference and Prof. GRD presided over the inaugural function. The conference was a great success.

When I went to thank GRD for his help and encouragement, his only comment was 'I am waiting to see your first research paper!'

Fortunately for me, funding started coming to the department for research after the conference.

We did produce a research paper within five years.

When I expressed my relief to GRD, he said, 'If I did not believe that you can do it, you would not have got the job!'


Summary

I strongly believe that GRD was a most extraordinary leader with tremendous passion to bring education to the highest level possible.  He worked all his life relentlessly toward to that goal.

When I saw recently that PSG College of Technology was ranked among the top 10 technological Institutions in Southern India, I could only think of the foresight GRD had in appointing ten full professors at the same time.  He also personally invested his time in encouraging and helping them to be the best they can be.

To me, that is leadership at the highest level.