Andrew Veda
Chess · Pedagogy · Poetry

Andrew Veda

Assistant Professor of English
SRM Valliammai Engineering College

Builder of curious, confident thinkers ✨ Motivating my students to grow into their best versions.
Live long and prosper!✨♟️🖖
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett
Check out the app I've built for my students!

About Me

I treat learning as the highest form of self-creation. As a chess player, I bring clarity, logic, and strategic thinking into the classroom.

I design gamified, curiosity-driven learning experiences that help students grow into confident communicators.

Research & Intellectual Work

My research explores environmental humanities with a focus on zoosemiotics and phytosemiotics, arguing that nature itself participates in meaning-making rather than remaining a passive backdrop.

I work extensively on classical Tamil literature, particularly Kuṟuntokai, foregrounding female gaze, emotional agency, and narrative dominance. I have translated the entire collection into acrostic verse.

I am also developing a theory of aesthetics that equates aesthetics with individuality and growth rather than surface beauty.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe students learn best when they feel safe to explore, question, experiment, and improve. My teaching blends clarity, curiosity, creativity, and agency.

Everything I do is aimed at instilling in my students the desire to become the best version of who they can be.

Publications & Talks

My academic work spans journal articles, conference papers, invited lectures, and workshops across literature, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary studies.

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Chess

I am an active rapid player, 2100+ blitz, and 2200+ bullet (top 0.3% globally). Chess keeps my mind sharp and (I hope) my teaching sharper!

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