Leadership
Dr Vidya Saraswathi M
MDS in Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
Dr. Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham
Principal & Head of Institution
Hospitality and Culinary industry – It changes every day, and there's always something new. Even after three decades in this industry, I continue to pursue every goal with excellence and dynamism. My motivation to nurture the present and future talents of this industry propels me every day.
Dr. Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham
Dr. Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham
Principal & Head of Institution
Ph.D., M.Sc., M.B.A, M.I.H, M.Phil
K.Thiru is responsible for program review and improvement, accreditation, assessment of student learning and fostering an environment for student success, academic personnel decisions, budgeting, admission management, the fiscal health of the college, use of technology within the academic and administrative environment, curriculum development which is on par with industry standards
EXPERIENCE
- He has over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry entailing hotel operation and academics.
- He worked with Taj Group of Hotels for six and a half years, one year with Residency Hotels and two years with Food Processing Industry.
- Areas of expertise include Kitchen Operations Management, Personnel oversight/ Management, Cost Containment, Special Events Development, Customer Service, Quality Assurance, Staff Training, and Development.
- Functional expert in hotel operations and improvising the existing standards of academic processes and curriculum.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
- Global Cuisine, South Indian Cuisine, Modern Indian Cuisine, and Therapeutics Product Development.
- Expert in designing state-of-the-art kitchens at par with global industry standards
ACHIEVEMENTS
- He received the “Outstanding achievements in the field of Culinary Arts” award from the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) in the year 2019.
- He is a recipient of the Culinary Educator of the Year Award, 2018, in the 12th Epicurus Indian Hospitality Awards ceremony, in association with Telangana State Tourism on 19th Aug 2018, Hyderabad
- He is a recipient of the Cochran Fellowship (Culinary Arts 2016) from the United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) and Federation of Agricultural (F.A.O.). During his fellowship programme, he worked with various restaurants, food products manufacturing industries, Microbreweries, Vineyards, Cheese factories in California, San Francisco, Alabama, Atlanta, Tennessee and New York.
- He won the Best Culinary Educator of the Year 2016 from Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) and World Associations of Chefs Societies (WACS).
- He was nominated among the top three positions for the "Young Chef and Instructor of the year 2005" award for the Indian Forum of Culinary Association.
- Under his leadership, the institute received accreditation from the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and the accreditation from the Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA) for the supreme culinary education at WGSHA.
- He was instrumental in launching two new master’s programs – M.A in Indian Cuisine and Food Culture and M.H.M Master in Hotel Management in the year 2020.
- He launched the Outcome Based Education (O.B.E.) for undergraduate and post-graduate programs in 2019.
- He has hosted "Curriculum Conclave” involving stakeholders in developing a new curriculum for the students.
- He introduced the Alumni Mentorship Programme, in the year 2019.
- Under his mentorship, WGSHA launched the commercial restaurant and bakery operations from the year 2018.
- He launched the "Welcomgroup Entrepreneurial Development Cell” in the year 2018.
- Under his guidance, WGSHA hosted the various industry-academia interface programmes and alumni virtual lecture series.
- He has conducted food festivals in Canada, U.K, U.S.A, Malaysia, and Singapore.
- He was instrumental in setting up the Department of Culinary Arts in the years 2010 and 2011.
- He was responsible in setting up various lab kitchens in WGSHA.
- He has trained several of his students to compete in national-level culinary competitions. They have achieved outstanding results.
- He was Instrumental in conducting the 'Executive Development Workshop" for the industry professionals with Cornell Nanyang Institute, Singapore. He co-ordinated for the two E.D.W’s in the years 2007 and 2008.
MEMBER OF
- Governing council of Tourism-Hospitality Skill Council of India
- Academic advisory committee – Army Institute of Hotel Management, Bengaluru
- Board of studies for hotel management, Banglore University North