- EAPCET / ECET / ICET Code: VMEG
The Vardhaman Alumni Association (VAA) was established to strengthen the bond between alumni and Vardhaman College of Engineering. Officially registered under the Telangana Societies Registration Act in October 2024, the association aims to create a strong network of former students who can contribute to the institution’s growth and support current students. The association focuses on alumni engagement, professional networking, mentoring, educational contributions, and community development while maintaining lifelong relationships among graduates and the college.
The first Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the association was conducted on November 23, 2024, in hybrid mode at the college campus. During the meeting, members discussed the vision, mission, future initiatives, membership strategies, student career support, and collaboration opportunities such as internships, guest lectures, placement drives, and mentorship programs. The association also emphasized fundraising initiatives, scholarships, alumni participation in institutional activities, and the formation of leadership and working committees to ensure the successful functioning and long-term development of the alumni network.
ACTIVITIES:
Vardhaman Successfully organizing several impactful alumni activities, including Pioneers Podium, where distinguished alumni giving sessions on technical skills, non-technical skills, career development, entrepreneurship, and placement guidance for students. Alumni networking activities and the alumni meet Mitra further strengthened connections among graduates and faculty while fostering collaboration opportunities. Alumni Networking activities are conducted to strengthen connections among alumni, enhance professional profiles, support career growth, and create job opportunities. The initiative also encourages knowledge sharing, mentorship, career guidance, and collaboration among alumni across various industries and domains. Vardhaman also planning to launch an AI Club led by alumni professionals to promote innovation, emerging technologies, and industry-oriented learning among students. These initiatives reflect the association’s commitment to building a strong and supportive alumni ecosystem that contributes to both student success and institutional growth.
Dr. Nikhila Kathirisetty has been a faculty member in the Department of Information Technology at Vardhaman College of Engineering, Hyderabad, since 2017, and currently serves in administrative position as Dean–Outreach. With over 17+ years of teaching experience across India and the UK, she has held several academic leadership, mentoring, and student-development roles. She served as In-charge Head of the Department of CSE (Data Science) from 2023 to 2025, has been an Innovation Ambassador for the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) since 2022, and has been actively working as a Certified Career Counsellor since 2025.
She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Marwadi University in 2024, with her doctoral research focusing on Emotional Intelligence and its role in human-centric technological and professional development. She also holds an M.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering in 2010 and B.Tech. in Computer Science and Information Technology in 2005.
A Senior Member of IEEE, Dr. Nikhila has contributed extensively to the professional community for over five years, serving as a Treasurer in IEEE WIE (2 years) Chapter AG Hyderabad section for 2 years and inaugurated 2 chapters at VJIT and KL university. As a Faculty Advisor conducted many events under IEEE CIS Chapter (2 years), and IEEE SIGHT (1 year). She has been instrumental in organizing and mentoring numerous IEEE-CIS and IIC initiatives, including guest lectures, hackathons, workshops, and FDPs/PDPs.
Her academic and mentoring excellence has been recognized with the awards – International Excellence in Teaching (2026), International Mentor of the Year (2025) and Best Women Faculty Award (2024). Her research publications in reputed journals and conferences focus on Software Engineering, Machine Learning.
