Dr Archana Acharya has bagged Distinguished Academician Award of the Year

Dr Archana Acharya has bagged Distinguished Academician Award of the Year

• September 28, 2021

The first and the eldest of three siblings, Dr. Archana Acharya was fondly parented by Mr. D. Srinivasa Chary and Mrs. Ramadevi in Hyderabad since June 1981.  She holds a Doctorate in Business Management from Rayalaseema University, Andhra Pradesh, India.  Born into a traditional middle class Brahmin family, she was very fortunate to have an opportunity to grow up in an unprejudiced and permissive environment. Education has been her passion from the beginning and thus arrived the letters “DR” before her name.  Her journey wasn’t easy, but she had encouraging parents, supporting husband and co-operative daughters to keep company.  She pursued her school education from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, one of the most renowned educational institutions of India.  Being an avant-garde, she graduated from the CAI (Culinary Academy Of India),   the most prestigious culinary school of India, and the top-notch in its category.  Consequently, she worked with “Oberoi Towers – Mumbai”, one of the best and most prominent hotel of its class.  But her thirst for knowledge urged her to continue her journey in constant perusal of erudition and in order to expand her horizon, she pursued her masters in Business Management from Osmania University. An M.Phil and a subsequent Ph.D in the Management field added to her profile.  

Hailing from a family of academicians, she unswervingly believed that teachers are nation builders and that the strength of every profession grows out of the knowledge and skills that teachers instil in future citizens. Ergo, in spite of being a star pupil with crackerjack grades, she was constantly coaxed to take to teaching. Her choice of profession was ridiculed by many a number of times by her friends and kinsmen.  Often, they even articulated that she was ruining her life all by herself. Despite these baleful circumstances, she drew her inspiration from her childhood paragon, Dr. R. Venkata Ramanan, he was her Principal from her school days.  She said he always emphasized that the intelligentia should get into teaching if the student output has to reach its apex. These inspiring and ever motivating words drove her closer towards her life’s goals day by day. She has a set of teachers, whom she addresses –SAPTA RISHI, the seven teachers who inspired, influenced and made a mark in her life, they instigated a major shift in her outlook towards life which made her realize that student perspectives are like wet clay and only a committed and dutiful teacher can mould them into a more meaningful and purposeful form.  By the virtue of these SAPTA RISHI, she believed and practiced that a teacher should focus not only on the academic growth and wellbeing of the students, but also on their holistic development. 

Dr Acharya emphasizes, she ardently believes that the quality of teaching and learning provision by far, are the most salient influences on the student’s cognitive, affective, social and behavioral outcomes. With transition to most rigorous achievement standards and better student assessments, a focus on data to drive instructions and the use of technology to personalize learning, she takes upon teaching as an incredible responsibility and that she is perpetually disposed for persistent customization to take on hybrid roles to gear up to the new era of techno teaching. She goes nostalgic, when she recollects her roller coaster ride of 20 years, throughout which she faced multifarious challenges in living her dream of shaping futures.  She thinks back, at times her morale nosedived so abysmally, that she had to put in an arduous effort to not CALL QUITS. But by divine favour, every single time she was despondent, barring none, she rebounded to be more zestful and more vivacious.

In this strong, determined and committed journey towards imparting education, an M.Sc in Psychology and an Official Trainer’s Accreditation from Cambridge University are the additional feathers in her crown.  Besides being an able teacher, she is a counselling psychologist, motivational speaker and a freelance trainer too. She is a featured Independent Director recognised by the Ministry Of Corporate Affairs, Govt. Of India. She has participated in many workshops and published papers in prominent national and international journals. She authored and co-authored many research papers in the disciplines of management, hospitality and psychology, and is currently working on a book on Human Resource Management, her favourite area of teaching. This revered teacher, also a creative head, is a graceful dancer of Kuchipudi – a classical dance form of India, a poet by heart and a photographer by passion. She had penned down many literary works in English and her mother tongue – telugu. She was titled “Brain of Noble-2004”, as she was adjudged the best student in her student times and also as the “Best Faculty – HR, 2006” in ICFAI University.  She was awarded with “The Teaching & Research Excellence Award – 2020, by EMG-SSM Trust'', awarded for “Outstanding Contribution To Student Development – 2021, by Kites Craft International” and she has also been awarded the “Women’s Leadership Award – 2021 by Hybiz TV. An India's Prime Icon Award and being featured in the list of Top 100 Promising Teachers of India for 2021 add to her laurels.

Now, she humbly admits that she is overwhelmed with joy, feels blessed out and venerated to receive the “Distinguished Academician Award”, for the Women Icon Awards 2021 powered by Times Women and World Women Council. 

She further shares, the awards and accolades received in the journey are the cherries on the cake that she cherishes fondly. But to be veracious, her true pride lies in her students and her eyes twinkle with tears when she hears them say, “Ma’am..... you are our CHANAKYA”.