Testimonials

It is quite rare that those who get a degree return something that is intellectual to the institution at which they have studied. It is even more rare that a class of students, which has achieved distinction in a wide range of fields, would come together to share their experiences for the benefit of those that follow.

This is exactly what the class of 1986 has done. Their combined knowledge and experience will help not only the students of PSG College of Technology, where they all studied engineering thirty years ago, but students elsewhere as well.  As an alumnus myself, I am delighted to heartily congratulate them on their unique contribution.

Dr. Raman Kolluri

Fulbright Scholar

Head of Department

Physics and Materials Science

PSG College of Technology (1970-85)

I want to congratulate the graduates of PSG College of Technology, class of 1986 for their innovative, informative, insightful and inspirational gift to the current and future students of their alma mater. The impact of this gift will likely last for a long time to come. As I read this book, I longed to be 18 again, with a renewed appreciation for the cocktail of curiosity, perseverance, passion, risk seeking and serendipity!

Dr. Narendra Agrawal

Benjamin and Mae Swig Professor

Department of Operations Management and Information Systems

Leavey School of Business

Santa Clara University

The 1986 class at PSG College of Technology has launched this book as a worthy effort at contributing back to its alma mater.  Firstly, the panoramic view based on their experiences years ago on campus, and their current pursuits, is valuable for students who are studying there.  Secondly, it shines the light on the thoughts of young talent from India that is now spread out either within the country, or as Indian diaspora, across the globe. 

I enjoyed and took away nuggets of knowledge that escaped my attention as a chemical engineering major at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai during the latter half of the seventies.  My compliments to the contributors and wish this effort every success.

Dr. Milind Shrikhande

Clinical Professor, Finance

J. Mack Robinson School of Business

Georgia State University 

We are used to reading about individual accounts of travels such as Cook or Magellan.  This book is fascinatingly different.  A set of students, all starting at the same place and time, branch out intellectually and geographically. The result is a compilation of a wide range of experiences, thinking, and opinions that are global, contemporary and informative. 

Dr. N. R. Prabhala

Head of Research

Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL)

Supported by the Reserve Bank of India

and

Professor of Finance

University of Maryland

In the world of packaged educational programs, MOOCs and distance learning degrees, slogans that attempt to run universities like businesses, and where students are increasingly viewed as customers to be pleased, emerges a spontaneous expression of the love for the essence of education.  The people expressing their views in this volume are united by a core bond formed years ago, when they acquired a Bachelor’s degree.  They left with the ability to think for themselves, to ignore geographical and disciplinary constraints that would otherwise stunt growth, and with a sense of service and a desire to make an impact in whatever they chose to do. 

Having moved on to far flung places like Tennessee, the still rumbling island of New Zealand, and the frozen tundra of the northern reaches of the earth, they still trace their success to their formative years.  One young student saw a metallurgical craftsman exercising the art of engineering with pride to achieve the perfect amalgam of properties validated by scientific analysis in the lab, another was inspired simply by a casual conversation with a classmate and yet another by a sympathetic ear of a teacher at a tough time.  We also see here the actual embodiment of “women in engineering” well before it became a trend.  This is clear evidence that the experience of a cohort going through an engineering program at a caring institution can hardly be replaced by distance learning and other “modern” concepts. 

Reading these stories leaves one with the comfort of knowing that the future of engineering and its impact on society is in good hands.  One can also see glimpses of India embracing once again the value of its ancient guru-shishya traditions, to give to the world real models of education and life-long learning.  Engineering education administered in this manner is, above all, education that brings about Human Transformation.

I wish these veteran graduates of PSG College all the best as they continue to leave their mark on the world.  And I am confident that this outpouring of reflections from this group of students will serve as the compass for many generations of students to come.

Dr. Srinivas Garimella

Hightower Chair in Engineering

Professor and Director

Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory

Georgia Institute of Technology

These essays from a diversity of professional and geographical locations will offer much valuable insight and inspiration to the current students of PSG College of Technology.  Hindsight is 20/20, and what better way than for today's students to benefit from these alumni perspectives, as they chart out their brave new paths in the world.  The reflections in this volume open up a fascinating range of experiences and advice for today's generation of students as they prepare to be tomorrow's leaders.

Prof. Kavita Daiya

Visiting NEH Chair in the Humanities, 2015-2016

Albright College

Associate Professor of English

George Washington University

I am delighted to provide a testimonial for these compilations of the 1982-86 batch of PSG Tech Alumni.  I have been in touch with them, since their college days and they are a vibrant group of professionals with excellent track records.

The presentations in this book are vivid, experiential information, which facilitate the readers to connect and relate to the authors authentically. One can clearly see in the writings, how the aspirations of an individual changes, with the time and that there is a shift in their perceptions about the world.  The writers have put down in a story-like manner, their understanding of life, application of the facts learned and their scripts distinctly capture their professional and emotional growth over a period of time.  The discussions are full-of-life, with striking examples of their life expedition, which provide an aspiring reader valuable tips for his/her career.

Their contributions are unique and commendable.

Dr.P.V. Mohanram

Principal

PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research

Coimbatore, India