Dr. Susan Elias began her academic journey with a B.E. in Computer Science & Engineering from Madras University, followed by M.E. in Multimedia Technology and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, and went on to complete a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at IIT Madras.

Over a career spanning 34+ years, she has held senior leadership positions including Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) at Chandigarh University, Uttar Pradesh, Director Research at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, and Dean of the School of Electronics Engineering at Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai. At Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering (SVCE), Chennai, she served as Head of the Department of Computer Science, spending nearly two decades there shaping the minds of computer science engineers who went on to make a meaningful difference in the world of technology and business.

Dr. Susan Elias is a transformative research leader specialising in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and DeepTech, who has led multiple DRDO-funded projects as Principal Investigator in the areas of predictive analytics and AI in defence applications, and has authored over 70 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, presenting her research at conferences in the United States, France, and Singapore. Across institutions, she has established advanced laboratories and interdisciplinary centres, strengthened industry partnerships, built meaningful international collaborations and consultancy partnerships, and played a key role in formulating progressive research policies that enhanced research quality, funded projects, innovation, and industry engagement. Under her mentorship, student teams have won accolades at national and international hackathons and research competitions. She has been recognised for her research contributions through several awards, including the Samsung Research Excellence Mentor Award for her guidance on pioneering AI projects. She has also mentored several entrepreneurs and remains a source of inspiration and guidance for many in their entrepreneurial journeys.