I am P Deepa Shenoy from Punjalkatte, South Canara was born as a first child out of four to P Manjunath Shenoy and P Shakuntala Shenoy. My father worked for Canara Bank and my mother a home maker though very brilliant, born in a Doctor’s family didn’t get a chance to work. I have two younger sisters and a brother all residing in Bangalore.
I started my education in Besant School, Mangalore but continued in Kolar, Mysore, Santhebennur, Dharwad and finally University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore where I stayed for 45 years Student to Professor and retired last year.
As a first child in the family, I always used to take responsibilities, was born adventurous and used to do things differently.
I did engineering at times (1978-83) when girls in our community tried for medicine or banking. My parents though never used to guide us to do a particular thing, they never stopped us from pursuing whatever we aspired for. After Engineering in Electrical branch, I continued Masters in Power Systems from the same college and joined as a temporary lecturer immediately after the studies. Luckily became permanent in the year 1988.
Meantime, I met a Professor of Computer Science from the neighbouring college and got married in 1987 and became a mother of a boy child in the same year. Life was going pretty normal, but tragedy hit me badly barely after 5 years of marriage. I lost my husband suddenly due to heart attack. He was a workaholic due to which he used to smoke, a chain smoker rather.
Barely 31 with a 4-year-old child, I shifted to Ashakiran Apartments, Basavanagudi where my parents resided and bought a flat just opposite their flat and became support system for each other.
Exactly after one year of his death, I enrolled for MS in Computer Science from BITS Pilani. I decided to change the stream and my mentor and guide Dr Venugopal K R helped me to pursue my studies. I completed my PhD in Computer science under his guidance in the year 2005. My son Siddharth, though young was a huge support while pursuing my MS and PhD.
After completing my PhD in Computer science and engineering in 2005, luckily there was an advertisement for Teaching Posts in various disciplines by Bangalore University. I promptly applied for the Professor post in Computer science and I was the only eligible candidate for four posts. Interview was conducted in March 2008, got selected but was never given the orders.
This post was very important for me as I wanted to guide PhD students in this discipline. So, my Court journey started. It went on and on for five years with nearly ten different cases, three different lawyers. I took this as a challenge and a learning experience. Whenever my case was there, I used to attend as High court was close to the college. I used to think what if I don’t get the justice even after such a long struggle and what if it takes toll on my health? But walking helped me overcome this hard time. Luckily after five long years, I got the appointment order. That is how I thoroughly involved in Research work in computer science and still very active. I have guided 18 students and currently guiding 6. Two of my PhD Students are pursuing Post-Doc at Germany and USA.
My UVCE and IEEE Journey
Throughout my career at UVCE, I progressively held important roles across the EEE and CSE departments having over 37 years of teaching experience. UVCE was not just an educational institution: it was my second home. It provided me with the foundation to build a successful career, a sense of purpose and the freedom to explore, experiment and innovate.
Beyond academics, I embraced various responsibilities during my tenure, including serving as Chief Warden of the Ladies Hostel (1997-2000), Placement Officer (2008-2013), Chairperson of the CSE department (2014-2016), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (2019-2021), and holding positions within the Academic Council and Syndicate Member of Bangalore University.
My passion for research resulted in the publication of over 200 papers in international conferences and journals. With an H-index of 25, an I10-index of 70, and over 2600 citations, my research focused on applying cutting-edge technologies like deep learning, large language models and quantum computing to address real-world issues like healthcare, traffic management, fake news detection, agricultural data analysis and sentiment analysis. Even after retirement, I still stay involved with UVCE. I visit the college regularly to mentor my PhD students and connect and interact with the IEEE UVCE community.
My dedication extended beyond teaching as I actively contributed to the IEEE UVCE community. I served as a Branch Mentor, Branch Counsellor, and currently hold the position of Branch Advisor for IEEE UVCE. Additionally, I held the role of 25th Chairperson for the IEEE Bangalore Section in 2022, being the first woman to do so in its 45-year history. During my tenure, I initiated several impactful programs, including a Student Scholarship Program, Adopting A Government School, and Establishing the Ongoing IISc Student Program.
My Hobbies and Interests
Apart from teaching, research, guiding and IEEE, I am also passionate about lot of interests that keep me going.
I love dancing and started learning Arabic dance at the age of 54. I have given performances and shows including international events, and have been a part of many flash mobs in college.
I believe that health and fitness are important aspects of our life. I practice Yoga regularly and also participate in walkathons. I firmly believe that one has to be fit before taking up any responsibility. Started two walkathons in the college, 5 kms inside Cubbon Park. Before the Paper Presentation event Kagada from IEEE UVCE we do Kagathon. Also, before the technical fest Impetus we run Impethon. These two have seen more than 5 editions each.
I have always loved travelling and seeing new places. It is like a thirst for adventure, and it keeps me wanting to learn more about the world. I have been to 30 different countries, and each trip has been a chance to experience different cultures and ways of life. It is like learning something new every time I travel, and it makes me feel wiser and more open-minded.
My mother is a huge inspiration to me. Even at the age of 85, she is full of life. Her continuous pursuit of learning, her commitment to health and her enthusiasm for current affairs, including cricket, serve as a constant source of strength to me. She has been my travel partner to more than 15 countries!
I strongly feel in order to progress in profession, one needs a good team and we have a strong team of students and mentors at UVCE which supports each other to advance. The support system from the family is invaluable to go ahead in life and I was lucky to have that.
My message to young girls
My message to young girls is simple: get educated rather highly educated, chase your dreams and don’t be afraid to be different. Be bold and pursue your passions. Break free from stereotypes, yet navigate societal norms with grace. Aim for independence and strive for meaningful careers and not just a job.
