US Second Lady Usha Vance’s grandmother, Prof Chilukuri Santhamma, continues to empower future generations even at the age of 96

Visakhapatnam: Long before Usha Chilukuri Vance gained prominence as the US Second Lady, her grandmother, Prof Chilukuri Santhamma (96), had already earned renown in India. Despite her advanced age, she remains a beacon of knowledge, working as a physics professor at a private university in Vizianagaram while commuting nearly 150 kilometres each day.
Beyond her academic accomplishments, Prof Santhamma embodies a profound philanthropic spirit. She selflessly donated her Visakhapatnam residence — currently valued at approximately Rs 10 crore — to Vivekanand Medical Trust. She is even in the process of authoring a research publication on group theory. Rising at 3 am every day to cook and pack her lunch for the university, she exemplifies the discipline and resilience that have defined her remarkable career. She insists that her commitment to research and teaching will continue till God grants her the strength to do so.
Born in Machilipatnam on March 8, 1929 — a date now celebrated worldwide as International Women's Day — Prof Santhamma displayed academic brilliance from an early age. During her intermediate studies at Mrs AVN College in Visakhapatnam, she distinguished herself as the top student at Andhra University. A recipient of Raja Vikrama Deo gold medal, she later pursued higher education at the Jeypore Vikrama Deo College of Science and Technology (popularly known as AU Science College) on the Andhra University campus. Incidentally, her first day at Andhra University was on August 15, 1974, a day that coincides with India's Independence Day.
Her illustrious teaching career began in earnest in 1956 when she joined Andhra University as a lecturer. Even after retiring in 1989, her passion remained undiminished; she returned as an honorary faculty member at Andhra University, devoting herself entirely to research and teaching. Later, when Prof GSN Raju — a former vice-chancellor of Andhra University and one of her former students — assumed a leadership role at Centurion University (eventually being promoted to chancellor), he invited her to join the faculty there.
Prof Santhamma's scholarly pursuits extend well beyond the confines of physics. Her significant expertise in atomic and molecular spectroscopy has earned her widespread acclaim. At the same time, her deep engagement with ancient Indian texts — the Puranas, Vedas, and Upanishads — demonstrates that true scholarship transcends disciplinary boundaries.
Among her notable literary contributions is ‘Bhagavadgeetha – The Divine Directive', an English interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita's slokas. She also oversaw the publication of a comprehensive seven-volume work on Vedic Mathematics, originally authored by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji. Under her mentorship, 17 students earned doctoral degrees and four have completed their MPhil studies, further cementing her legacy as an inspirational educator.
Prof Santhamma says she derives immense joy from teaching and sharing knowledge, and enriching my students' lives. "I loved learning and teaching since I was a child, which is why I chose this profession. Even at this age (96), educating young minds remains my top priority. My heart fills with joy every time I engage with my students, and as long as God grants me the opportunity, I will continue to teach," she says.
Usha is the granddaughter of her husband Subramanya Sastry's eldest brother, Rama Sastry. "She seems to have inherited the sharp intellect and acumen that runs in our family. Both my husband (Subramanya Sastry) and his elder brother (Rama Sastry), who is Usha's grandfather, served as university professors. Our family also holds deep societal concerns. My husband, in fact, spent two years in jail during the emergency period as he was the Andhra Pradesh chief of RSS at the time," she reminisced.
Centurion University chancellor and former Andhra University vice-chancellor, Prof GSN Raju, fondly recalls the profound impact of Prof Santhamma's teaching and cherishes the time he learned and worked alongside her at Andhra University.
"She is an exceptional teacher and researcher, renowned for spearheading innovative projects. She is highly prolific in publishing research papers in international journals. I consider myself fortunate that she was my teacher at Andhra University, where she taught Physics during my BTech studies in the early 1970s. It is an honour that she dedicated her book ‘Bhagavadgeetha – The Divine Directive' to me — an indication of her personal affection," he said.
Even at the age of 96, she continues to guide students towards a bright future by conducting extensive research and authoring books on Vedic Mathematics, he noted. "She is one of the few professors actively researching this field and has also translated works from Telugu into English. I am deeply grateful for her wisdom and mentorship. I have been honoured to be considered her best student — having topped all branches as a gold medallist with an unbroken record CGPA of 10 and scoring 94 marks in physics under her guidance in my first year," Prof Raju recalled.