Campus Reminisce

My incredible journey at IITM started with my PhD interview, which was scheduled between the two great spells of heavy rain and flood in December 2015. I got into a campus bus and peeped through the window to catch my first glimpse of the rain-soaked, lush green campus. I was awestruck at the beauty and instantly fell in love with the campus; It was love at first sight.

My interview went well, and I strongly wished to return to the campus before I left. My wish came true, and I got selected and started my PhD at the Department of Chemistry in January 2016. From that day, I enjoyed and cherished my campus life till the end of my PhD in 2022. Loads of campus memories are stacked down my memory lane. Those late-night campus walks, celebrating friends’ birthdays and new year celebrations on Himalaya lawns, cycle trips to Besant Nagar beach, Saturday movies at OAT, and tasting delicacies in Saarang food stalls are always nostalgic.

Even now, my mouth still waters when I think of the delectable sandwiches and snacks at the Ramu tea stall, the piping hot ginger tea at IRCTC and later in the Suprabha canteen. IITM shaped my life both personally and professionally. It gave me the opportunity to network and grow and exposed me to international research. I was glad to be a part of IIT-M's successful journey as the No.1 institute in India consecutively for five years during my PhD tenure. I might not be physically present on campus anymore, but I can feel myself being teleported there whenever I close my eyes and think about it.

Thank you, IIT-M.

Sai Manoj Gorantla is currently working as a Researcher at The Arctic University of Norway in Tromso, with a focus on CO2 sequestration and utilisation. He has previously also worked as a Research Analyst at Tan90 Thermal Solutions Pvt Ltd, a startup incubated in IIT-M subsequent to his doctoral studies. He holds a BSc and an MSc from Sri Venkateswara University and a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Sai Manoj Gorantla - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sai-manoj-gorantla-925a2779