For the first time in its long history, St. Stephen’s College under the University of Delhi is set to have a woman principal. Professor Susan Elias will officially take charge as the 15th principal of the college on June 1.
The announcement was made through an official notice issued by Reverend Paul Swarup, chairman of the college.
“The supreme council of the college is pleased to announce that Professor Susan Elias will take charge as the 15th principal of the college and as its first lady principal,” the notice stated.
Professor Elias succeeds John Varghese, who served two terms as principal of the institution.
In December last year, the religious minority college had invited proposals from “agencies of international repute” to identify suitable candidates for the top leadership position.
The appointment marks a significant moment for the college, one of India’s oldest and most reputed educational institutions, which has traditionally held an influential place within the University of Delhi.
Professor Susan Elias’ Educational Qualifications
Professor Susan Elias comes from an academic background in computer science, multimedia technology, and research leadership.
As per her LinkedIn profile, she completed her Post Doctoral Fellowship in Membrane Computing from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Madras between 2010 and 2011.
Before that, she earned a PhD in Multimedia Communications from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Anna University’s College of Engineering, Guindy, from 2004 to 2007.
She also holds a Master of Engineering degree in Multimedia Technology from Anna University, completed during 2002–2003.
Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering from Bharath Institute of Science and Technology under Madras University, which she pursued between 1987 and 1991.
Professor Elias completed her schooling at Good Shepherd Higher Secondary School in Chennai.
Long Academic And Administrative Experience
Professor Elias has had different leadership and teaching roles in various organisations in India throughout her career tenure.
The most recent role Professor Elias served as Pro Vice Chancellor-Research in the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science located in Uttar Pradesh from January to May of 2026.
Before joining this position, she served as the Director-Research at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science from October 2024 until December 2025.
Previously, she occupied different senior positions at Vellore Institute of Technology, among which were those of Professor and Dean of the School of Electronics Engineering, Professor and Deputy Director of the Centre for Advanced Data Science, as well as Associate Professor and Head of the School of Electronics Engineering.
Before joining VIT, she worked for nearly two decades at Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering as Professor, Department Head, and Dean of Co-curricular Activities.
Her teaching career also includes roles as lecturer at Mar Gregorios Engineering College and Dr MGR Engineering College in Chennai during the early years of her academic journey.
Historic Appointment For St Stephen’s
The appointment of Professor Susan Elias is being seen as a landmark moment for St. Stephen’s College, which was founded in 1881 and remains one of the most recognised colleges under the University of Delhi.
