Dr P K Radhakrishnan has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala. Governor Nikhil Kumar, who is the Chancellor of Universities in the state, chose Radhakrishnan from among the three names shortlisted by the search committee.
Radhakrishnan is presently Professor at the School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University and Executive Council Member of the Central University of Kerala.
A native of Karunagapally in Kollam district, Radhakrishnan is a recipient of CSIR Fellowship for his PhD degree from the University of Kerala. He is a life-time member of the Indian Chemical Society and the Indian Science Congress Association.
The previous positions held by Radhakrishnan are: Director, School of Chemical Sciences, MG University; Dean, Faculty of Science, MG University; Member of MG University Syndicate and Academic Council and Chairman of the Board of Studies in MG University, Calicut University, Kerala University and Periyar University in Salem. He was also a Senate member of Cochin University of Science and Technology.
Radhakrishnan has published 60 research papers in national and international journals and presented 27 research papers in national and international conferences. He is also a recipient of the Dr S Vasudev Memorial Prize in 1991 for the best research work from Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. Rahadkrishnan’s wife P Sheeba is a teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom. His son Hari R Krishnan is an engineering student in Thiruvananthapuram.
The two other candidates shortlisted by the search committee were V Prasannakumar, Professor of Geology at the University of Kerala and S V Sudheer, Director of the Academic Staff College, Kerala University.