From Gratitude to Research: How Alumni Carry Forward a Professor’s Legacy

Research has always been central to IIT Madras’ impact. From deep-tech laboratories to industry collaborations, from faculty-led innovation to student research, the institute’s work continues to shape technology, society, and the nation. Alumni have played a vital role in strengthening this research ecosystem. Among the many ways alumni support research at IIT Madras, Chair Professorships hold a special place.

They bring together two powerful motivations: supporting future research and honoring a professor who shaped generations of students. At IIT Madras, Endowed Chairs and Faculty Fellowships are established to recognize outstanding faculty across different stages of their careers for achievements in research, industry R&D, innovation, and the implementation of state-of-the-art solutions. These are awarded based on research domains identified by donors.

A Chair Professorship is more than a tribute. It is a living legacy. It honors a professor’s contribution while supporting future faculty, students, and research in the same academic spirit. In doing so, it connects three generations at once — the teacher who inspired, the alumni who give back, and the young researchers who will carry the work forward.

One recent example that beautifully reflects this spirit is the effort to establish the Prof. K.N. Bhat Early Career Chair at IIT Madras.

Prof. K.N. Bhat’s influence extended across classrooms, laboratories, research groups, and generations of students. For many alumni, he was not only a teacher but also a mentor whose clarity, warmth, discipline, and academic rigor left a lasting impression.

When the idea of creating a chair in his honor took shape, it quickly became more than a formal initiative. It became a community movement.

His students, colleagues, well-wishers, and alumni across geographies came together with a shared purpose: to honor a professor who had shaped so many lives and to ensure that his legacy continued through future research in semiconductor devices, fabrication, MEMS, and related areas.

What stood out was the spirit of ownership among alumni.

They did not simply wait for someone else to carry the message. They reached out to classmates, seniors, juniors, colleagues, and fellow researchers. They shared the appeal on LinkedIn and WhatsApp. They identified students and associates of Prof. Bhat across batches and institutions. They encouraged one another to contribute, pledge, share, and help the campaign reach more people.

In one appeal, alumni were invited to “carry the torch” and help launch the next generation of faculty and researchers. That phrase captured the heart of the effort. The appeal shared the fundraising goal of ?1.2 crore, noted that ?23 lakh had already been raised from 16 supporters, included the donation link, explained tax benefits, reminded alumni about company matching, and encouraged people to tag, share, and choose their contribution tier.

The chair was not only about looking back with gratitude. It was about carrying forward the light that Prof. Bhat had given to so many.

The messages exchanged among alumni during the campaign showed how deeply personal this effort was.

Some contributors spoke of being direct beneficiaries of Prof. Bhat’s teaching and mentorship. Others shared that even though they were not his direct students, they had been mentored by people who were shaped by him. That is the remarkable thing about a great teacher’s influence — it travels far beyond one classroom or one batch.

One alumnus described his contribution as a way of giving back to the IIT Madras community that had supported his own journey. Another message celebrated the enthusiastic participation of donors and noted that the chair would continue to inspire future students, researchers, and faculty members in areas connected to Prof. Bhat’s work.

There was pride, there was affection, and there was urgency.

Alumni reminded one another to reach out personally to those who may not have seen the messages. They encouraged peers to speak to seniors, juniors, colleagues, and acquaintances. Some suggested pledges for those who wished to contribute later. Others called for a final collective push to help the chair reach its goal.

This is what makes alumni giving special. It is not only institutional. It is relational.

It moves through trust.

It moves through memories.

It moves through old friendships, research bonds, batch networks, and the quiet respect alumni continue to hold for their teachers.

The Prof. K.N. Bhat Early Career Chair effort showed how powerful that network can be when it gathers around a meaningful cause.

A Chair Professorship does something rare.

It gives alumni a way to say thank you, but it also turns that gratitude into support for the future.

A chair created in a professor’s name can help young faculty pursue ambitious research, mentor students, strengthen laboratories, and build academic programs in areas that matter deeply to the institute and to the nation.

In the case of Prof. Bhat, the chair carries forward a legacy connected to semiconductor devices, fabrication, MEMS, and related fields — areas that are increasingly important for India’s technological future.

That is the beauty of this form of giving.

A professor’s name does not remain only in memory. It becomes associated with new research, new scholars, new ideas, and new possibilities.

The alumni who contributed are not just donors. They become custodians of a legacy.

Now, the Department of Chemical Engineering has a similar opportunity.

Alumni and well-wishers are coming together to establish the Prof. S. Pushpavanam Early Career Chair Professorship at IIT Madras.

For many Chemical Engineering alumni, Prof. Pushpavanam is remembered for his teaching, mentorship, research guidance, and his role in shaping the department’s academic life. This chair offers a way to honor that contribution while supporting future faculty and research in Chemical Engineering.

The Prof. K.N. Bhat Chair effort shows how such a movement is built. A few committed alumni begin. The message reaches former students, PhD scholars, project students, colleagues, and those indirectly influenced. People contribute, pledge, share, call, remind, and bring others in. Slowly, a tribute becomes a collective act of gratitude.

This is now a moment for the Chemical Engineering alumni community.

Reach out to classmates who remember Prof. Pushpavanam. Share the appeal with seniors and juniors. Bring in colleagues and friends who were shaped by the department. Contribute in a way that is meaningful to you. Help create a chair that honors a teacher while strengthening research at IIT Madras.

The Prof. S. Pushpavanam Early Career Chair is an opportunity to carry forward a legacy in the most meaningful way: by supporting the next generation.

To remember with gratitude.

To support with purpose.

To carry the legacy forward.

At its heart, an alumni-funded Chair Professorship is a beautiful act of continuity.

A teacher gives knowledge, time, guidance, and inspiration.

Students carry that influence into the world.

Years later, alumni return to strengthen the same ecosystem that once shaped them.

And through a chair, future faculty and students receive support to continue the journey.

This is how IIT Madras grows across generations.

Not only through buildings, laboratories, and rankings, but through relationships that endure. Through alumni who remember. Through communities that come together. Through teachers whose influence continues long after their formal years of service.

The Prof. K.N. Bhat Early Career Chair is a proud example of alumni gratitude becoming research support.

The Prof. S. Pushpavanam Early Career Chair is an opportunity to carry forward a legacy in the most meaningful way: by supporting the next generation.

To remember with gratitude.

To support with purpose.

To carry the legacy forward.

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