Dr. Dharmalingam has been working as the Head of Mechanical Engineering Department at Tamilnadu College of Engineering, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He has done BE from GCT (Coimbatore), ME from Anna University (Coimbatore), MBA from Alagappa University, Karaikudi, DIS from Annamalai university and PhD from Anna University, Chennai as part of his academics. He had 12 years of industry experience and 14 years of teaching experience. He has published more than 8 research papers in his field of thermal and manufacturing. His area of specialization is manufacturing.

Tamilnadu College of Engineering

Being a HOD, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students? 

"Taking care of students academic and non-academic needs of our students is my responsibility"

As a head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, I have a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Firstly, I used to attend the meetings with the students and faculty members to monitor students academic progress. And I also encourage our faculty to support the students in finishing their work in the best possible way. And providing suitable opportunities to students based on their interests is also my accountability. 

How do you establish healthy relationships with the students and fellow faculty?

"By being a trustworthy communicator for them and addressing their queries on time"

For the purpose of ensuring good relationships with the students and fellow faculty, I try my best to create a trustworthy environment so that they can share their issues and queries with me without any hesitation and fear and I can resolve them on time. I also connect with them on a regular basis to discuss the most recent developments that will help us to grow and inspire each other to think creatively and positively for the benefit of society and nation. Lastly, we foster a positive teaching-learning environment in college to ensure cordial relationships with each other.

How would you describe your leadership style?

"I believe a team is build by the cumulative efforts and respect for each other"

My leadership style is basically goal oriented and before assigning any task to my team or individual person, I make the aim of that crystal clear to them so that they can work with full focus and dedication to accomplish it. I also keep a close eye on the development of work and provide my full support and assistance to them as and when required. I always remain open for any suggestions or inputs from anyone, be it my fellow faculty or students. Apart from this, I prefer to take charge of duties and lead projects with students and remain involved and motivate everyone by demonstrating that I'm working hard to support them, too.

How do you strategize and update the curriculum to make it beneficial for the students?

"We follow the curriculum designed by University but keep including value added courses in it regularly"

We are affiliated to Chennai's Anna University and approved by AICTE. Hence, we are bound to follow the curriculum designed by the University itself and this curriculum is prepared by the amazing team of academicians and industry experts, hence it comprises all the requirements of outside industries and is also revised once every four years. And in our Mechanical Department, we provide a diverse range of value-added courses to students to help them stay updated in order to bridge the gap between industry demands and institute's educational practices. 

Check Tamilnadu College of Engineering Courses & Fees

What do you see as the greatest strengths of the Mechanical Engineering Department?

"Our college modernized infrastructure, faculty members and working ambiance makes us strong"

There are several factors which keep us together and make us strong as well, including our team of highly qualified and experienced faculty members who are committed towards their work and have creative interpersonal skills, excellent campus infrastructure, well-stocked laboratories, and a comfortable work atmosphere. Overall, all our stakeholders who work with us and work for us are the main source of our strength.

Which extracurricular activities are organized in college to enhance the skills of students?

"We regularly conduct sports events, seminars, workshops and guest lectures"

We firmly believe that extra-curricular activities are equally important for students as academics, hence to improve their knowledge, we organize seminars, workshops, guest lectures, value-added courses, project expos, and technical quizzes for upskilling students on a regular basis. Besides this, we have numerous clubs in our campus, including sports club, arts club, and Tamilmandram, helping others, red ribbon, and NCC, NSS, and Rotaract to help students develop their leadership skills and team work and let them learn how to deal with various situations.

How do you train your students for placements?

"They are made corporate ready via training programs, group discussions and mock interviews"

As far as placement of students is concerned, our main aim remains to enhance their communication skills and overall personality in line with corporate world demands which we accomplish in collaboration with our industry partners by organizing industry and placement oriented training. And to prepare students for the actual interview process, we regularly organize training sessions, group discussions, reasoning exercises, technical and aptitude tests, and mock interviews. Before students graduate, the Training and Placement Cells from our institutions serve as the body in charge of getting them job-ready. 

Click Tamilnadu College of Engineering Placements

Any valuable advice which you would like to give to the students for a prosperous career ahead? 

"Stay focused towards your goals and improve your research skills"

I would like to advise my students to focus on their academics and make best use of the library's resources. Also focus on your research skills and try to publish the papers in national and international conferences wherever you get a suitable chance. Also participate in events like Project Expo. Lastly, make your studies more enjoyable by breaking down your work into manageable chunks and reward yourself after finishing off each one.