Mini Shaji Thomas

<h2 id="education">Education</h2>
Thomas graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the <a href="/facts/University_of_Kerala/5k6lp2Qb">University of Kerala</a> in 1984, earning a gold medal for her academic performance. She completed her M.Tech in Electrical Engineering (energy systems) at the <a href="/facts/Indian_Institute_of_Technology%2c_Madras/LC6q9DdR">Indian Institute of Technology, Madras</a>, in 1986, where she again received a gold medal and was awarded the Siemens Prize.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> In 1991, she earned her <a href="/facts/PhD/paJumdN8">Ph.D.</a> in Electrical Engineering (power systems) from the <a href="/facts/Indian_Institute_of_Technology%2c_Delhi/aC2aS6sV">Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a>

<h2 id="career">Career</h2>
As the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Jamia Millia Islamia, Thomas introduced three new B. Tech programs in emerging, job-oriented fields and revised the curriculum as mandated by the National Education Policy 2020 to provide more flexibility. Thomas was the founding director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Jamia Millia Islamia and is currently a professor in the Department of <a href="/facts/Electrical_Engineering/YYXW1KLW">Electrical Engineering</a>, Faculty of Engineering and Technology. She served as the Central Public Information Officer from 2008 to 2014 and as the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 2005 to 2008.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> Before joining Jamia, Thomas was a faculty member at <a href="/facts/Delhi_College_of_Engineering%2c_Delhi/D8IJV6Jk">Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi</a> and the <a href="/facts/National_Institute_of_Technology%2c_Calicut/ATdoGwUE">National Institute of Technology, Calicut</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>
During her time at <a href="/facts/National_Institute_of_Technology%2c_Tiruchirappalli/XvdzQ5zq">NIT Trichy</a>, Thomas and her team developed a plan to improve the institute's position among technical institutions, incorporating input from various stakeholders<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>. In 2018, NIT Trichy established a Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing, with an investment of Rs. 190 crore in collaboration with Siemens Industry Software for research and training, as well as a Center of Excellence in <a href="/facts/Artificial_intelligence/lJGauQwX">Artificial Intelligence</a> and Intelligent Machines.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>
Thomas is currently on the Board of Directors of the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> and was the President of <a href="/facts/Shastri_Indo-Canadian_Institute/sS30wnxw">Shastri-Indo Canadian Institute</a> (SICI) for 2020-21, a binational organization supported by the <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Education_(India)/VqHzDlbb">Ministry of Education</a>, <a href="/facts/Government_of_India/BIpETqjv">Government of India</a>, which promotes understanding between India and Canada through academic activities and exchanges.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> Thomas was also the Mentor Director of the <a href="/facts/Indian_Institute_of_Information_Technology%2c_Tiruchirappalli/pJy36aTc">Indian Institute of Information Technology Tiruchirappalli</a> for 3 years.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>

<h2 id="research-contributions">Research contributions</h2>
Thomas's research focuses on areas such as <a href="/facts/SCADA/nKL6Mfd1">Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition</a> systems, substation and distribution automation, and smart grids. She has published over 150 research papers<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> in international journals and conferences, supervised 16 PhDs, completed numerous research projects, and coordinated the Special Assistance Program (SAP) on Power System Automation from UGC, Government of India. She is also a reviewer for journals in her field.
Thomas established a SCADA laboratory and <a href="/facts/Substation_automation/b8NvNAFm">Substation Automation</a> (SA) Laboratory at JMI, with industry involvement. She also drafted the curriculum and started a full-time MTech program in Electrical Power System Management in the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, JMI, in 2003, with industry participation, featuring courses on power automation and hands-on training. Thomas won the <a href="/facts/Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineers/UddC4pUW">IEEE</a> Educational Activities Board (EAB) Meritorious Achievement Award 2015 for "Design and Development of Curriculum and Laboratory Facilities for Professionals and Students in the Electricity Industry." She is the author of 'Power System SCADA and Smart Grids' <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a> by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, USA, and a book chapter in the McGraw-Hill Standard Handbook of Electrical Engineers, 17th edition, 2018. She has authored a chapter in the book 'Women in Power: Research and Development Advances in Electric Power Systems' in the Women in Engineering & Science series by Springer, 2023. She is a 'Distinguished Lecturer' of the IEEE Power & Energy Society.
Thomas has been involved in professional societies and serves on the global boards of <a href="/facts/Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineers/UddC4pUW">IEEE</a>, representing the Asia-Pacific region. She has lectured at universities worldwide while engaging with technical experts globally.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a>

<h2 id="awards">Awards</h2>
<ul><li>Recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award (DAA) of IIT Madras 2022.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a></li>
<li>Best Teacher Award by IEEE Kerala Section in 2019.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a></li>
<li>IEEE EAB Meritorious Achievement Award in Continuing Education for "Design and development of curriculum and laboratory facilities for professionals and Students in the Electric Utility Industry" by IEEE Educational Activities Board, USA in 2015.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a></li>
<li>Larry K Wilson Trans-National Award by IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board, USA in 2013.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a></li>
<li>Outstanding Power and Energy Chapter Chair by IEEE Power and Energy Society, USA in 2012.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a></li>
<li>Outstanding Power Engineer award by IEEE Power and Energy Society Delhi in 2008.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a></li>
<li>MGA Innovation Award by IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board, USA in 2008.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24">24</a></li></ul>
In addition, Thomas received the ‘Career Award’ for young teachers from the Government of India, the IEEE Power and Energy Society Outstanding Chapter Chair Award 2013, the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Innovation Award 2008, the IEEE Outstanding Volunteer Award 2005, the IEEE Outstanding Branch counselor Award 2002, and the Power and Energy Society (PES) Outstanding Chapter Engineer Award. She is a certified trainer for the Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education by UGC and has conducted training sessions for women's empowerment.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25">25</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ysoKbMAAAAAJ">Mini Shaji Thomas</a> publications indexed by <a href="/facts/Google_Scholar/FhEwS2QM">Google Scholar</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"NIT-T gets 1st woman director in five decades". The New Indian Express. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021. <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/nov/25/nit-t-gets-1st-woman-director-in-five-decades-1542432.html" target="_blank">https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/nov/25/nit-t-gets-1st-woman-director-in-five-decades-1542432.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"NIT-T gets 1st woman director in five decades". The New Indian Express. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021. <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/nov/25/nit-t-gets-1st-woman-director-in-five-decades-1542432.html" target="_blank">https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/nov/25/nit-t-gets-1st-woman-director-in-five-decades-1542432.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | Principals/Directors" (PDF). NIT Tiruchirappalli. Retrieved 8 May 2023. <a href="https://www.nitt.edu/home/administration/director/All-Principals-Directors-v4.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nitt.edu/home/administration/director/All-Principals-Directors-v4.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">theokhlatimes (10 March 2025). "Jamia Professor Mini Thomas in list of 100 most influential women of 2025 by business magazine - The Okhla Times". Retrieved 3 July 2025. <a href="https://www.theokhlatimes.com/min-thomas/" target="_blank">https://www.theokhlatimes.com/min-thomas/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"NIT Trichy - Director". www.nitt.edu. <a href="https://www.nitt.edu/home/administration/director/all_principals_directors/" target="_blank">https://www.nitt.edu/home/administration/director/all_principals_directors/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Mini Shaji Thomas" (PDF). Jamia Millia Islamia. Retrieved 29 April 2021. <a href="https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/employeeresume/mthomas.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/employeeresume/mthomas.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"JMI faculty is first woman Director of National Institute of Technology, Trichy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210608175656/https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/publication/pr1_english_2016november23.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20210608175656/https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/publication/pr1_english_2016november23.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Proff Mini Shaji Thomas PDF | PDF | Smart Grid | Electrical Grid". Scribd. Retrieved 3 July 2025. <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/326603387/proff-mini-shaji-thomas-pdf" target="_blank">https://www.scribd.com/document/326603387/proff-mini-shaji-thomas-pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"NIT Trichy director Mini Shaji Thomas completes term, to rejoin Jamia Millia Islamia". The Times of India. 27 November 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 July 2025. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/nit-trichy-director-mini-shaji-thomas-completes-full-term-to-rejoin-jamia-millia-islamia/articleshow/87950765.cms" target="_blank">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/nit-trichy-director-mini-shaji-thomas-completes-full-term-to-rejoin-jamia-millia-islamia/articleshow/87950765.cms</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"NIT Trichy gets Rs 190crore facility which 'even IITs don't have' - Times of India". The Times of India. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2021. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/nit-trichy-gets-rs-190crore-facility-which-even-iits-dont-have/articleshow/66088862.cms" target="_blank">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/nit-trichy-gets-rs-190crore-facility-which-even-iits-dont-have/articleshow/66088862.cms</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"Board of Directors IUSSTF". www.iusstf.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210429165322/https://www.iusstf.org/board-members" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20210429165322/https://www.iusstf.org/board-members</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"Past Presidents of SICI | SHASTRI INDO CANADIAN INSTITUTE". www.shastriinstitute.org. Retrieved 29 April 2021. <a href="https://www.shastriinstitute.org/presidents-bi-national2005" target="_blank">https://www.shastriinstitute.org/presidents-bi-national2005</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"Mentor Director IIIT Srirangam". The Hindu. 15 March 2019. <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/new-iiit-director-takes-charge/article26547690.ece" target="_blank">https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/new-iiit-director-takes-charge/article26547690.ece</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"Google scholar profile of Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas". GoogleScholar. 9 June 2021. <a href="https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=ysoKbMAAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=ysoKbMAAAAAJ&hl=en</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Thomas, Mini S.; McDonald, John Douglas (19 December 2017). Power System SCADA and Smart Grids. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4822-2675-1. <a href="978-1-4822-2675-1" target="_blank">978-1-4822-2675-1</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">"Mini Shaji Thomas" (PDF). Jamia Millia Islamia. Retrieved 29 April 2021. <a href="https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/employeeresume/mthomas.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/employeeresume/mthomas.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">"Mini Shaji Thomas IEEE profile". IEEE Collobratec. <a href="https://ieee-collabratec.ieee.org/app/p/minishajithomas" target="_blank">https://ieee-collabratec.ieee.org/app/p/minishajithomas</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">"Office of Alumni & Corporate Relations". <a href="https://acr.iitm.ac.in/distinguished-alumnus-awardees/?var1=2022" target="_blank">https://acr.iitm.ac.in/distinguished-alumnus-awardees/?var1=2022</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">"NIT Trichy Director Mini Shaji Thomas gets best teacher award from IEEE Kerala section". ToI. 13 January 2019. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/nit-trichy-director-mini-shaji-thomas-gets-best-teacher-award-from-ieee-kerala-section/articleshow/67513575.cms" target="_blank">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/nit-trichy-director-mini-shaji-thomas-gets-best-teacher-award-from-ieee-kerala-section/articleshow/67513575.cms</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">"Jamia Professor wins IEEE EAB Meritorious Achievement in Continuing Education Award 2015". IndiaEducationDiary. 23 April 2020. <a href="https://indiaeducationdiary.in/jamia-professor-wins-ieee-eab-meritorious-achievement-in-continuing-education-award-2015" target="_blank">https://indiaeducationdiary.in/jamia-professor-wins-ieee-eab-meritorious-achievement-in-continuing-education-award-2015</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:21">"Jamia faculty wins IEEE MGA Larry K Wilson Translational Award 2013". MEA. 3 December 2013. <a href="https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/22555/Jamia+faculty+wins+IEEE+MGA+Larry+K+Wilson+transnational+award+for+2013" target="_blank">https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/22555/Jamia+faculty+wins+IEEE+MGA+Larry+K+Wilson+transnational+award+for+2013</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:22">"2015 IEEE educational activities board awards". IEEE Transactions on Education. 59 (1): 69–74. 1 February 2016. Bibcode:2016ITEdu..59...69.. doi:10.1109/TE.2015.2510281. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000" target="_blank">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:23">"2015 IEEE educational activities board awards". IEEE Transactions on Education. 59 (1): 69–74. 1 February 2016. Bibcode:2016ITEdu..59...69.. doi:10.1109/TE.2015.2510281. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000" target="_blank">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:24">"2015 IEEE educational activities board awards". IEEE Transactions on Education. 59 (1): 69–74. 1 February 2016. Bibcode:2016ITEdu..59...69.. doi:10.1109/TE.2015.2510281. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000" target="_blank">https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7397000</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:25">"Mini first women director of NIT Trichy". dtnext. 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170824081042/http://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2016/11/28234314/1022467/Mini-first-woman-director-of-NITTiruchy-takes-charge.vpf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20170824081042/http://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2016/11/28234314/1022467/Mini-first-woman-director-of-NITTiruchy-takes-charge.vpf</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Mini Shaji Thomas open-in-new

Mini Shaji Thomas