Bhubaneswar, Oct. 15: Governor S.C. Jamir today selected Chitta Ranjan Tripathy as the new vice-chancellor of Sambalpur University.
At present, Tripathy is serving as professor in the department of computer science and engineering at the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology.
The outgoing vice-chancellor Bishnu Barik’s term ends on November 9.
“Tripathy has 53 research publications and 69 other republications to his credit. Besides, he has guided eight scholars in their PhD activities. He is a well-known academician and has earlier been the vice-chancellor of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology,” a government press release said.
Tripathy will take over the reins of Sambalpur University in the second week of November, officials at the governor’s office said. Besides Tripathy, two other senior professors, Satyaban Jena from Utkal University and Sarat Acharya from Sambalpur University, had been short-listed for the post. While Jena is a professor of chemistry, Acharya comes from the statistics department. The trio had a one-on-one interaction with Jamir following which Tripathy was selected.
Sources at the chancellor’s office said the interaction session was “extensive” and included power point presentations. Each candidate was interviewed for almost 30 minutes and asked questions on academics and administration. They were also asked about their vision, mission and plans on how to improve the university.
A three-member search-cum-selection panel, led by former diplomat Lalit Mansingh, syndicate nominee G. Behera and UGC nominee Kamlesh Jashipura, had short-listed the three names from 40 applicants for the post. The candidates were short-listed over two days on September 21 and 22.
Tripathy was also among the aspirants looking for a second term.
His appointment of vice-chancellor of Sambalpur University has assumed significance this time since he would preside over the golden jubilee celebrations of the university in January 2017. The university started functioning in January 1967 after the Assembly passed the Sambalpur University Act on December 10, 1966.
