I, Dr K Usha, Associate Professor, Department of Banking Technology, Pondicherry University, showcase a distinguished and multifaceted academic career, marked by significant contributions across teaching, curriculum development, student mentorship, research supervision, and administrative duties, with teaching experience of 15 years. Their expertise spans undergraduate, postgraduate (MBA Banking Technology, MBA Financial Technology, M.Tech. in Computer Science specializations), and doctoral levels, strongly focusing on emerging domains like Data Science, Blockchain, IoT, and Bio-Informatics in B.Tech. Programs. As an educator, they have fostered innovation and practical learning, evidenced by successfully supervising over 80 project batches, including those focused on blockchain applications, image processing, and various capstone projects.

Their leadership in curriculum design is demonstrated through active participation as a curriculum committee member and Board of Studies participant, significantly shaping courses on modern technologies such as Blockchain, Business Intelligence, and VR/AR, alongside core computing subjects. Administrative acumen is reflected in roles like class/year coordinator, NAAC criterion head, and exam coordinator. Furthermore, they are a recognized research supervisor, guiding M.Tech., MBA projects, and Ph.D. scholars, underscoring a robust commitment to educational excellence and holistic student development. My research profile demonstrates a strong, sustained focus on finger knuckle biometrics, with numerous publications in Elsevier journals and IEEE conferences. This work details the development of robust personal authentication systems through innovative geometric (AGAM), texture (STAM), and transform-based (TTAM) feature extraction methods, often involving fusion techniques like the MFMA framework.

More recently, their research has expanded to blockchain technology applications, emphasizing security and privacy in e-voting, biometric template protection, and certificate/agricultural trade management. Earlier contributions also explored software development process improvement, showcasing a consistent engagement with applied computing and security solutions. My commitment to continuous learning and knowledge dissemination is further enhanced by engaging in professional development activities. They served as an organizer, coordinator, and resource person for a three-day National workshop on “Python for Data Analytics” at Pondicherry University. Additionally, they attended a five-day GIAN Course on “Randomized Methods on Parameterized Algorithms” at I.I.T. Gandhinagar.

These activities demonstrate a proactive approach to staying abreast of advancements and contributing to the broader academic community. Overall, the profile I created so far is that of a dedicated academic professional with a strong record in teaching, curriculum innovation, biometrics research, blockchain technology, and administrative leadership, consistently striving for educational advancement and student success.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY, CYBER SECURITY AND BIOMETRICS