Appoints Dr. Vasanthi Mariadass as the Program Chair for Design Studies along with Dr Sheetal Bharat as Associate Professor & Dr. Gargi S Kumar, Dr. Bipin Sony, Ms. Taniya Sah and Dr. Jyotsna Rosario as Assistant Professors, Economics and Finance
Bengaluru, July 05, 2024: Vidyashilp University, the new-age centre of excellence from the Vidyashilp Education Group announces the appointment of Dr. Vasanthi Mariadass as the Program Chair for the Communication Design program.
VU features a distinguished pedagogical team with an average of 30 years of academic experience. The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies currently has 15 faculty members. The addition of Dr. Vasanthi Mariadass, Ms. Taniya Sah, Dr Sheetal Bharat, Dr. Gargi S Kumar, Dr. Bipin Sony, and Dr. Jyotsna Rosario will further enrich the teaching expertise in their respective departments.
Dr. Vasanthi Mariadass brings a wealth of experience to Vidyashilp University. She has been the former Dean for New Humanities and Design at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology and holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania along with a Master’s Degree from Clarion University, US. Her current research focuses on Environmental and Climate Change, which she integrates into her pedagogical approach for design and liberal arts students.
Dr. Sheetal Bharat holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.A. in Development Economics from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. With two decades of experience, she is well-versed in new institutional economics, the history of economic thought, economic history, development, political economy, and mathematics.
Dr. Gargi S. Kumar served as a project coordinator for a Neuro-palliative care project at the NIMHANS in Bangalore. She has a robust academic background with a Ph.D. in Psychology from IIT Bombay, an M.Phil. in Psycho-oncology from the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, and an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Hyderabad.
Dr. Bipin Sony’s expertise encompasses financial economics, corporate finance, financial markets, and macroeconomics. Dr. Sony holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Madras School of Economics and an M.A. in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai.
Ms. Taniya Sah has submitted her Ph.D. in Agriculture and Development Economics to IIT Delhi and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Kumaun University, Uttarakhand. Her expertise centres on agricultural markets and value chains.
Dr. Jyotsna Rosario holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Madras School of Economics. She has also served as the Research Manager for the Tamil Nadu Household Panel Survey Project at the Madras Institute of Development Studies in Chennai. Her extensive background in both research and teaching positions will help her to advance Vidyashilp University through innovation, interdisciplinary education, and global collaboration.
Speaking about the appointments, Prof. P.G. Babu, Vice-Chancellor, Vidyashilp University said, “The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies is one of the four academic schools at Vidyashilp University and our lookout has been for dynamic subject experts who could bring forth the core principles of liberal arts to their teaching and research. We are glad that we could find great synergy with all the newly hired faculty members”.
The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies offers three programs: B Des (Bachelor of Communication Design), and BA Honors , BA Honors with Research covering a range of domains from Communication Design and Economics to Psychology.
B.Des (Bachelor of Communication Design):
The B.Des program promises exclusive focus on Communication Design, combining some of the classic elements of Graphics and Visual Communication Design along with new-age, future-oriented inputs in Digital Design and Content Creation, ideal for students looking for opportunities in the online media and content industry. The course also emphasises on research and scholarly aspects offering a practical and technical mastery.
Providing an Interdisciplinary approach to Design, minors of Economics, Psychology, Data Science, Finance and Marketing are collaboratively offered by the School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies, the School of Computational and Data Sciences, and the School of Business Studies. Each Minor has a mandatory Integrative Project – to bring together the major and minor domains, enabling students to understand the application of Communication Design, in-depth, in their chosen minor.
BA Honors , BA Honors with Research:
The BA Honors & Research offers a mentored academic and research experience to understand research design and methodology from the perspective of an experienced researcher. The emphasis lies on providing students and early-career researchers with the support they need to absorb the rigours of research and succeed in their chosen domains.
The program focuses on helping students develop statistical literacy in the form of critical thinking through arguments that use statistics as evidence. A key goal of statistical literacy is helping students understand statistical associations in a given context of observational studies.
Similar to the principles of Liberal Arts, Vidyashilp University’s ethos of interdisciplinary culture aims to push the students to engage in a unique exploration of the connections between diverse domains. The interdisciplinary approach empowers students to gain a comprehensive understanding, equipping them to address complex challenges with innovative solutions that prepare them to excel in their chosen domain.
About Vidyashilp University
Established in 2021, Vidyashilp University (VU) aims to transform higher education. Building on the 4+ decade legacy of the Vidyashilp Education Group (VSEG), VU fosters innovation and challenges the extraordinary to equip students for success in today’s ever-progressing world.
The University prioritises holistic development, nurturing well-rounded leaders. Rigorous academics, coupled with best-in-class facilities and a supportive environment, empower students to evolve into courageous change-makers. Vidyashilp University cultivates not just academic excellence, but also critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability – skills essential for making a positive impact in the real world.
