Media release
Puttur 31 October: Dr A P Radhakrishna, born on October 13, 1963 in Mumbai, embarked on an educational journey that commenced with primary schooling at Government Primary School in Santyar. For high school education spanning grades six to ten, joined St Philomena High School, Puttur. Subsequently, Pre-university course and BSc degree were pursued at St Philomena College from 1979 to 1984. Later, MSc in Physics was obtained from Mangalore University between 1984 and 1986, followed by PhD in Radiation Physics under the guidance of Prof K Siddappa, the former vice chancellor of Bangalore University, also at Mangalore University.
The teaching career commenced in 1986 at Vivekananda Polytechnic College, and from 1987 onwards, an academic home was found at St Philomena College Puttur. During the period from 2003 to 2010, there was an opportunity to serve at Vivekananda College, Puttur, on deputation. Dedication to the field of physics was evident through the publication of over 25 research papers in national and international journals, as well as active participation in conferences and seminars.
A UGC minor research project was successfully completed, and a VGST grant of Rs 30 ac from Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA) was secured to establish the ‘Instrumentation Center for Science Education.’ A significant role was played in the establishment of postgraduate studies in physics and research at St Philomena College.
From 2011 to 2023, service as the IQAC coordinator twice took place, and during that period, the college maintained its ‘A’ grade in NAAC evaluations. Currently, the individual holds the position of vice-principal at the college, contributing to its academic leadership.
Throughout the career, numerous guest lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences were organized in collaboration with organizations such as UGC, KSTA, ISRO, and Pilikula Regional Science Center. Additionally, numerous students were mentored, assisting them in securing scholarships for Higher Education (SHE) and the Student Research Fellowship (SRF) program of the Indian Academy of Sciences.
Science popularization has been a passion, with regular publication of science articles in newspapers and magazines. The individual's science columns, ‘Nobel Vijnanigalu’ in Udayavani and ‘Jnana Vijnana’ in Vijaya Karnataka, have received appreciation from readers. Additionally, contributions were made to the Kannada textbook of Mangalore University, including an article on Marie Curie. Books such as ‘Vishwakiranagala Mayaloka,’ ‘Maneyangaladalli Krishnavivara,’ ‘GTN Avara Vijnana Lekhanagalu’ were authored and published by Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara, Bengaluru, Prasaranga of Mangalore University, and KSOU, Mysore.
In addition to academic pursuits, active involvement in science outreach activities is a notable aspect of the contributions of Dr A P Radhakrishna. The establishment of the St Philomena Amateur Astronomical Club (SPAAC) is a noteworthy achievement. Regular sky-watch programs and other events during special celestial occurrences like eclipses are conducted.
Commitment to science communication has led to the delivery of talks and presentations of documentaries on scientists at All India Radio (AIR).
In terms of academic responsibilities, he has served as a member of the Board of Studies (BOS) and the Board of Examinations (BOE) at Mangalore University, SDM College, Ujire, St Agnes College, St Aloysius College, and Vivekananda College, Puttur. Roles as both secretary and president of the Association of Physics Teachers of Mangalore University (APTMU) were undertaken.
Life memberships in esteemed organizations include the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), Indian Radiation Society, BARC Mumbai, Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT), National Centre for Science Communicators (NCSC) Mumbai, Association of Physics Teachers (APTMU) Mangalore University, and the Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) since 2009.
Contributions include a chapter in a Nuclear Physics textbook published by the Association of Physics Teachers of Mangalore University, as well as editing study materials for the B.Sc fourth semester elective paper on Basic Astronomy and Communication, published by Mangalore University.
In his family, his father late A P Govinda Bhat, was a progressive farmer, mother AP Malathi, is a noted Kannada litterateur, sister A P Lalitha, is employed in Mysore, and wife Seethalakshmi manages agricultural pursuits. The daughter, A P Anusha, is married and works as a software engineer at INTEL, Bengaluru, while son A P Gautham, completed a five-year MS programme in Physics at IIT Chennai and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Astrophysics at John Hopkins University, USA.
The principal Dr Antony Prakash Monteiro, vice principal Prof Ganesh Bhat and all the faculty members have wished a joyful retired life.