Mysore/Mysuru: Bhramara Trust of Y.T. and Madhuri Thathachari has organised Chemistry Experiment Demonstrations by distinguished scientists Prof. Samita Maitra and Prof. Uday Maitra on Dec. 2 and 3 at four educational institutions to spark interest in science and research among students.

Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji will grace the occasion.

Former Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa will inaugurate the event tomorrow at 9 am at JSS High School in Suttur. At 3 pm, the demo will be held at  JSS High School and JSS PU College in Chamarajanagar.

On Dec. 3 at 8.45 am, the demo will be held at Manasarowar Pushkarini Vidyashrama in Vijayanagar 2nd Stage, Mysuru and the same will be inaugurated by Prof. R. Srinivasan. At 11.15 am, it will be inaugurated at Vijaya Vittala High School and PU College in Kuvempunagar by Dr. V. Prakash.

Profile

Prof. Samita Maitra completed her B.Sc and B.Tech from the University of Calcutta. Then she joined Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru, for M.Sc (Engg.) by Research and continued for Ph.D which was awarded in 2000. From May 2001, Samita is teaching in BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

During her teaching career, she has been the Head of the Department from 2006 to 2016 and the Dean of Academics from 2019 to 2022. Her research interest is Fuel Alternative, Soil Remediation and Interfacial Phenomena. Apart from that, outcome-based education is her major interest and she has published papers on Engineering Education. She is keen on effective implementation of outcome-based education.

Prof. Uday Maitra completed his B.Sc from Presidency College, Calcutta and M.Sc from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Then he received his M. Phil and Ph.D from Columbia University in 1986 working with Prof. Ronald Breslow. Following a post-doctoral stay at the University of California at Berkeley with Prof. Paul Bartlett, he returned to India, and after a year at IIT Kanpur, moved to IISc., Bengaluru, in 1989 where he is now a Professor at the Department of                                                        Organic Chemistry.

His research interests are in Hydrogels, Metallohydrogels and Organogels; Organic-inorganic hybrid materials; photoluminescent sensors, etc. His group has recently developed a general strategy for low cost, paper based photoluminescent sensors for enzymes and bio-relevant small molecules.

He is also greatly interested in Chemistry Education and is a regular participant in a variety of outreach programmes for high school and undergraduate students. He has received several awards and honours including S.S. Bhatnagar award in chemical sciences in 2001 and is an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Indian National Science Academy.