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Computer scientist, educator: Meet Prof Susan Elias, St Stephen’s College first woman principal

Her appointment ends years of administrative deadlock between the college and Delhi University over the post.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 12, 2026 09:11 PM IST

Professor Susan Elias has nearly three decades of experience in engineering education and interdisciplinary research. (Source: Linkedin) St.Stephen's

Professor Susan Elias has nearly three decades of experience in engineering education and interdisciplinary research. (Credits: Linkedin/ Image enhanced using ChatGPT)

When St Stephen’s College opens its gates this June, it will mark a historic first in the institution’s 145-year history. Professor Susan Elias, a computer scientist and academic administrator, is set to become the college’s first woman principal from June 1. She succeeds Professor John Varghese.

Unlike many of her predecessors at Stephen’s, an institution historically associated with humanities, theology, politics, and the liberal arts, Elias is from a markedly different academic background with nearly three decades of experience in engineering education and interdisciplinary research.

Speaking to The Indian Express, College Chairman Paul Swarup said Professor Elias comes from a “computing and engineering background”, describing her appointment as a move that could bring “the cutting edge of technology hopefully at St Stephen’s”. Swarup said the appointment followed “the proper procedure”, with the post being publicly advertised, followed by interviews, shortlisting and candidate presentations before the final selection was made.

Professor Elias built her entire academic career in Chennai before moving into national-level university administration roles. She completed her Bachelors of Engineering in Computer Science from Bharath Engineering College in 1991, Masters of Engineering in Multimedia Technology from Anna University, PhD in Computer Science from Anna University and was a Postdoctoral fellowship at Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Over the past three decades, she moved steadily through teaching, research administration, and institutional leadership positions.

She held senior leadership roles across several private universities and engineering institutions: She served as a Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) at Chandigarh University and Director of Research and Head of the Digital Health & Bio-Innovations Centre at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science.

She was the Dean of the School of Electronics Engineering (SENSE) at Vellore Institute of Technology in Chennai. She was also the Deputy Director for the Centre of Advanced Data Sciences in the same institute.

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She was also a professor at Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering.

Her later roles increasingly focused on interdisciplinary research administration, particularly AI applications in healthcare, electronics, and sustainability.

Elias’s academic work spans machine learning, explainable AI, medical imaging, federated learning, robotics, and digital health. Much of her published research sits at the intersection of engineering and healthcare. Her research profile also includes externally funded projects supported by agencies such as DRDO, DST and MeitY.

In December, the college advertised the position publicly. Sources at the college told The Indian Express that Elias was one among the eight shortlisted candidates for the post.

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Her appointment comes after years of tussle surrounding the office of the principal, with the college administration and DU sparring over the continuation of Professor Varghese beyond his original five-year term, which ended in March 2021.

DU had repeatedly termed his continuation “illegal” and “non-statutory”, arguing that the extension violated the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulations requiring a fresh selection process and performance review involving university and UGC nominees. However, St Stephen’s had reportedly stated that the re-appointment of Varghese was done according to the resolutions of the college’s supreme council.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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