Dr. Lali Growther is the Head of the Department of Microbiology at Hindusthan College Of Arts And Science. She holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology, along with a SLET, M.Phil. and PhD in the same subject. Besides teaching at Hindusthan College Of Arts And Science, Dr. Lali has also worked at Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, and K.G. College of Health Sciences.

Dr. Growther has guided 19 M.Phil. students and 9 PhD students at both Bharathidasan University and Bharathiar University. She has also published four books on Microbiology. She holds memberships in UB Microbiology and PG Microbiology at Bharathiar University; BOS in Microbiology at CMS College of Science and Commerce; and he is a Chairman of BOS at Hindusthan College of Arts and Science.

Dr. Lali regularly publishes and presents papers in her area of research. So far, she has over 35 publications, 18 papers presented in seminars and conferences, has organised 21 workshops, and has attended 42 FDPs.

Hindusthan College Of Arts And Science

What is your philosophy of leadership? 

I practise participatory leadership. All the participants (faculty members) in our team are involved in decision-making, analyzing their skills, capabilities, and delegating responsibilities. This develops honesty, loyalty, dedication, fairness, and trust among the members of the team towards achieving the goals of our stakeholders.

What do you see as this College’s greatest strengths?

Our college’s greatest strengths are its proximity to the rest of the city and public transportation. We have a strong student population, and the management has made significant efforts to build a strong infrastructure and facilities for the students. Our students have the freedom to use all of these facilities and laboratories anytime they want to. We also focus on the holistic development of our students and provide them with all the support they need through scholarships.

What are some of the biggest challenges for higher education in the current era?

Quality content delivery is a challenge due to the adherence to policies that are mandatory for institutional accreditation. Moreover, the up-gradation of our laboratory infrastructure and the need for faculty development activities like experimenting in the laboratory and spending quality time with students are also challenging for us. We also need to do frequent revisions of the curriculum without considering the impact and have classroom management with students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and attitudes.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth?

Concentrating on their holistic development using effective time management discipline specific knowledge should be strengthened. They must also prepare themselves for a better professional career or entrepreneurship. You must keep learning and developing your skills to stay competitive. 

How do you tend to establish a healthy environment in your College?

Developing a friendly and healthy environment in the college is important for us. We make concentrated efforts to foster a collaborative atmosphere among all our stakeholders. We adopt and promote fruitful interdisciplinary networks. We also believe that having clearly defined roles and responsibilities is a big step towards creating this atmosphere.

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What can an inbound student gain from studying here in your college?

Our inbound students acquire all the graduate attributes, like discipline specific knowledge, adapting to change in this rapidly advancing technological era, and practising the concepts of learning, unlearning, and relearning. Our curriculum includes recent trends in the subject, and we provide exposure to Global Immersion programmes that make our students globally competent.

How does the curriculum of your college ensure the best practice of industry?

Our curriculum has the basics of the subject and the advanced, emerging concepts in all areas of Microbiology. We have an application-oriented curriculum that ensures skill enhancement by providing practical courses for relevant theory lessons. We also try to incorporate industry-integrated courses that make students industry ready by including industrial experts in our board of studies to frame our curriculum. 

What do you think should be the college’s top priority over the next 10 years?

I believe that over the next ten years, the college should be looking into producing quality output in terms of results, placements, and students. We also want to keep growing our placement track record and have the top companies in the country hire our students. We also want to provide the space and facilities to foster the growth of start-ups.

What made you decide to become a teacher?

I had a passion for teaching since childhood. I wanted to combine my knowledge of Microbiology with academia to educate the next generation of students. I also get to keep learning and staying updated in my field.

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

I advise students to develop effective time management skills. Learn how to balance your studies, professional, and personal lives. Besides developing discipline-specific knowledge, it is also important to know skills like interpersonal, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. You must also be socially responsible and work towards giving back to society.

What are the benefits and career options after pursuing a course in your College?

Our students have the freedom to utilise the laboratory facilities. They go on industrial visits to become acquainted with industrial practices. Our students are placed in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where they can serve as Microbiologists in a diagnostic laboratory. They can also work as academics. We even have entrepreneurship guidance for the establishment of mushroom cultivation, vermicomposting, producing biofertilizers, or establishing a diagnostic laboratory.

What will you say are the best practices in the course you’re offering in (Hindusthan College)?

We encourage and promote skill enhancement through hands-on experimentation in all fields of Microbiology. We also provide entrepreneurial training through the mushroom cultivation unit, making biofertilizers, and other emerging microbiology trends and movements. 

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

Our curriculum is enriched with the required skills for various industries, where career options are available for Microbiologists in industries like food, medical, pharmaceutical, biofertilizer, and quality control units. Internships are mandatory for the students, where they learn about the observation and handling of high-end equipment and the working principles. This makes them confident enough to face the challenges in their career. They are also taken to various industries to provide knowledge on the career options available for students, and they observe the role of Microbiologists in those industries. This helps them gain a better understanding of theoretical concepts and their applications.

How did you train faculty to deliver this program to the students in (HindusthanCollege)?

Our faculty members are trained in their respective areas of expertise. They attend workshops and training programmes organized by reputed Institutions. They present their research work in seminars and conferences. They also attend various faculty development programmes in classroom management, trends in technology, work-life integration, and the process of accreditation, organised by our Institution and other Institutions.

When you came to college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

Our department's vision is to become a centre of academic excellence with highly qualified, knowledgeable, and competent Microbiologists and to empower students as responsible citizens who can work for the progress of society. This has been achieved by connecting theory and practise, where we provide in-depth knowledge to our students. Being an autonomous institute, we have the freedom to revise the curriculum, which helps us change the syllabus as we deem fit. We have tie-ups with industries and reputed organisations for student training and placements. This also bridges the gap between academia and industry. My vision was to complete a doctorate degree and publish research articles. I completed my PhD in 2014 and have now guided three PhD candidates. I also have 35 publications in National and International Journals.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real world challenges?

Our students are trained on soft skills that create confidence in them to overcome real-world challenges. We have a diploma programme on Clinical Laboratory Techniques that paves the way for placements in diagnostic sectors. We have an earn while you learn program, where students cultivate algae and mushrooms, and the profit earned is shared among students. The department also has a journal club and a student association (The Pasteurians) to showcase the talents of students and communicate their research findings.

Which factors make this program the best for the students to opt?

We have several well-equipped laboratories with the latest equipment. Here students receive hands-on training for their skill enhancement. Students are also exposed to industries through internships and projects that are also mandatory to identify societal problems and solve them scientifically. Our students are prepared to communicate their research findings through participation in seminars, conferences, and publishing in journals.

Our department is supported by various funding agencies through the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Chennai, under popularisation of science activities, student projects, a DST major project, and the Indian National Science Academy for lecture workshops. The department is also recognised under the DBT STAR College Scheme, which helps students get hands-on training and promotes undergraduate research.

What are some of the valuable insights of this program that you are offering?

The programme in Microbiology is unique because students are eligible for varied placement opportunities. Microbiologists play a vital role in research institutions, the diagnostic sector, agriculture, bioenergy, molecular biology, food, and pharmaceutical industries where quality control is the key to success. The programme offers courses in Basic Concepts in Microbiology, Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity, Microbial Physiology and Metabolism, Microbial Genetics, and Recombinant DNA Technology, among others.