Dr. Sachidananda Mohanty, Professor and former Head, Department of English, University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Orissa.

Dr. Mohanty was the second batch (1977-79) student of English at UoH. After teaching at two Universities in Orissa and obtaining his PhD from IIT Kanpur in 1987, he joined the UoH as Lecturer in August 1987. Dr. Mohanty is the recipient of several national and international awards including those from the British Council, the Salzburg, the Katha and the Fulbright. He has to his credit 26 books in English and in Oriya.

On the eve of joining the Central University of Orissa Dr. Mohanty said, ‘I am delighted to be given this opportunity to serve my home state in the field of higher education. I have been privileged to receive wonderful training in the field of learning and exposure to the best that a premier university like ours can impart. I intend to implement many of the innovative measures that I have picked up from the UoH.’ He further adds that ‘No doubt every place presents a set of challenges and opportunities, I am hopeful that with the goodwill of the University community at UoH that I carry with me, will be useful to me while carrying out the many tasks as the Vice-Chancellor of a Fledgling University. As always I remain grateful to Hyderabad University for having taught me some of the best things in life. I’m equally grateful to the city of Hyderabad for its unique cosmopolitan ambience.’

Dr Mohanty’s essays and articles have appeared in some of the leading journals and forums in the country and elsewhere including India Today, The Hindu, The Indian Express, The New Quest, The Toronto South Asian Review, The Indian Literature, The Book Review , Economic and Political Weekly, the South Asia Review and the Seminar Magazine.

He has lectured at a number of leading Universities in India and abroad including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Cornell University, Pittsburgh University, the City University of New York , California State University, University of New Mexico at Taos, Loyola University at Chicago and Australia National University, Canberra.

Dr. Mohanty can be reached at sachimohanty@yahoo.co.in