The new head of Meta India, the parent company of Facebook, Sandhya Devanathan, is an alumna of Andhra University College of Engineering.
Ms. Sandhya was a student of Chemical Engineering from 1994 to 1998. This was confirmed by the university authorities.
“Ms. Sandhya was a good student. She was proactive in conducting seminars and other projects in the department,” recalled former professor of the department V.S.R.K. Prasad.
“I still remember, she had done a good job in her project work,” said Prof. Prasad.
“I have lost touch with Ms. Sandhya after her graduation. But when I sent a message on Friday congratulating her on her achievement, she humbly accepted it and gave a reply thanking me for the gesture,” Prof. Prasad said.
Prof. Prasad said that even as she pursued chemical engineering, Ms. Sandhya was inclined towards computer courses, and had even completed the L2 computer programme with good grade, which was then being offered by the university.
Some of her friends who passed out along with her remember Ms. Sandhya as a “friendly and active girl” on the campus.
According to her profile in an online platform and her classmates at the university, Ms. Sandhya had completed her management studies from FMS-Delhi and joined Meta in Singapore in 2016.
Vasantha Rajendra Prasad, her classmate and principal of a private engineering college in Anakapalli, said that Ms. Sandhya was always an active participant in the department’s tech fests, and elocution and debate team.
“She is there in our alumni group. On Friday morning, when we congratulated her, she responded, and even messaged a few of us,” he said.
As the university is gearing up for the centenary celebrations, efforts are on to invite her to the campus and seek her participation.
“Already, Vice-Chancellor P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy has sent us a message to get in touch with her in this regard,” said Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
