Thayumanasamy Somasundaram and Vivek Somasundaram

00:01 Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening, reverie, listening from my name is Vivek somasundaram. Today is November 11th, 2020, 4th 2021. And today I have the pleasure of being able to, I introduced and interviewed. My own father for the story corpse. And he's going to be talking about this individual's in his life who helped contribute to the growth and development and help you get him to the point in which he is out today. So, welcome. Thank you very much for joining. And let's go ahead and dive right into this. So

00:44 International observers of the scientist, I'm training to become a scientist right now. Actually. And what are the things that we talked about in science? One of the things that we was very, very early on. And when it's really, really expensive to the fact that science in and of itself is a really, really primary author, and lots, and lots and lots of other co-authors as well. And so kind of keeping that in mind and the fact that we're recording this so close to Thanksgiving. It's naturally assumed to be super. I would like to do it. Kind of just talked a little bit about, you know, your story, you know, starting off very early in India and how you managed to get to the point with you at today and also talked about all these figures food.

01:44 What are the very beginning? Starting off with your story beginning? And I've been there before and it today? It's kind of more like us adults when you talk about your time and in some of the people that helps you. I hope you got in shape, you while you were a kid growing up. Okay? Thank you. My name is thayumanasamy, Sunderland Road. And for the record on Wednesday, November 24th, 2021 a day before Thanksgiving in Tallahassee. And the my conversation partner is my son.

02:31 And what do you talk about? The baby was asking me about? Is I lived actually, I'm a typical. What do you call an immigrant? Are you let's collect and especially indian-american quite fitting because I lived almost 30 years in India. And 30 years, 30 plus years in the US you were talking about him. Just a small town. I was born. And you also talked about my Early Childhood, you may know, but you're probably seen her in the photographs with a my mother. Her name is Fatima.

03:22 She's my biological mother but she was stricken with the illness which made her weak and very frail, even though my father timer for me at tried to help her she passed away when I was 5 years old or so, for one thing she had in her mind is that I kind of had a what do you call a personality or something? We call him the language we speak, which may be helpful so that I may be its kind of similar to Charis my in this country. She had a cold when she died that I will turn out to be somebody a later on in the life and turned out that I was able to make good progress in my life and will be able to come to America and make

04:22 Living. Of course, you are here with me and we have more far away from India, but I think I would life has changed very much.

04:33 And the other person, obviously, my father, whom you met many many times during a total of 13 times trip to India. And is he passed away, 19, I mean, 2013, of course, he was a businessman. Very nice compassionate. Father since I lost my mother and my older sister. We are at home and do to the enormous a business. He was running and the household chores, he remarried. And then, at the same time, he made sure. I and my sister.

05:14 Whatever we wanted. We got it. It's so funny that the kind of a materialistic things, people would like, to have somehow, I do not feel like it at this age because when I was very young he got me everything I would have asked her to get to the extent. He would even go ahead and do break it apart because I want to see what is inside. Just like, you were talking about the scientific curiosity. You have I was curious what I would play with the toy and then after they get bored, I'll ask him. He knew very well. It's difficult to get right in front of me. You'll take it apart and say see, this is one inside the fight. He was so compassionate and wanting to keep my curiosity alive.

06:11 Even though every he knew you're destroying property in value. He allowed me to do that. I feel that way. My my biological mother and my father played important roles in my, in my upbringing and my, keeping my curiosity alive because you kind of get on a lot there. So I'll just see you everything you ever wanted. Was you play with it? And then you begin to see the seeds of that scientific inquiry. Kind of beginning to develop before we talk.

07:10 Speak a little bit more. I briefly pecan talking about like, you know, you're bringing because obviously, you know, there's a big difference between how you were brought up, a big difference, is a factor. Of course. I'm an only child and you had for The Sibling. So when we talked a little bit about your sisters and talk a little bit and that you have absolutely. Thank you for bringing up. Of course, you meant all of my siblings during our trip stuff together to India. My one biological sister is my oldest one as well. And then she is very fond of me and she knew once again because she was 45 years. Older to me that when my mother passed away. She was around 10 before she was kind of knew. I am going to miss my mom.

08:10 While she was taking care of me until my step mom came. I came to the picture and she also knew that somehow we both of us will be okay. Even after my father remarried which turned out to be one of the best things which would happen to anybody. Because actually I, when I say mom actually don't think of my stepmother, who you met more of my mother than my biological mother because she passed away. When I was kind of a 45 years. I have very few memories of my own biological mother. My stepmom. I actually caught her mom Won Lee and my siblings, always, my brother was shot and I'm bigger Beyond along with my older sister. We all grew up together at the one family, because my step-mom actually, I'm going to call her mom in this point.

09:09 Did not read any of us any differently than her own children, very, very, very, very fortunate. That way my father, and my mother made sure V5 belong to one family, not to families. We have a very, very fortunate and that, that, of course, meant that is like, you're talkin about the cooperation collaboration, V5 supported each other even today. We are very, very close-knit family. That's how you got into the times. I feel like is one more person that really really need to talk about and that's maybe we could use is about the art teacher.

10:09 Instructors who I always refer to your teaching me things. Absolutely. Yeah. Thanks for asking me. You had there were two of them in my life. Won you happen to meet because she is still alive. Her name is available to the other person who passed away. Just before I got married. Her name is Lakshmi. These two people will actually school teacher light precisely the elementary school teachers who happen to live in the city that I was and they were very close friends of my father and my father's cousin died. And then they were working in the school where my cousin was the kind of a principal.

11:09 David close friends of my, my father, and they knew I lost my mother. They kind of took care of me, not really as a surrogate, but at the same time, being Elementary School teacher. I was when my mother passed away was 5 years old age, where you would call, go to a kindergarten. And first grade in India. They were able to tell me the importance of education and skill development as a child, because they knew I had to contact you on medication because my father is very busy. My mom is not there to help me. That's what I would stay with them, extended periods of time. And then they were not only help me learn and then not miss. My mom who used to actually go for medical treatment away from home.

12:03 The interesting thing about available even today she is, you can when you see how many meter, you can see that she will never tell me to leave. Like she was telling me that my kind of evidence even evidence is how I should be, but she will simply say, okay. I think you're ready. You said you're leading this, tell me something. She will ask me the moment. She asked me. I knew that I did not read it properly before she won't say anything else. Okay, I think, you know what, you didn't read that the way in which you expected to lead, then come back when you're done. That made me realize, I kind of her in stuff. In a derogatory way. She will tell me. This is level. I did not expect from you and expectations from you. I thought I was much much higher than what is that, was some motivation factor for me.

12:59 And of course, I like you correctly pointed out. That is the expectation I had for you and your growing up and that helped a lot in making sure education and studies and signs with your purse. We now are important in her life. She's also means I met her several times. She continues to remain one very very, very shrewd instructor namely because I think you know about her is the fact that she knows the difference between a few points out between when somebody has read the material and not well right to my favorite thing. Didn't you do this? Do this to me all the time? And I was younger is your friend since I would have an elementary middle school. I have a list of terms that I have to know and I would always

13:49 Say to you look daddy. I read everything. You know, I understand all the term night. Pretty confident. And so would you would always do is that she would always do which is why wouldn't she knows what we freshen your mind? You'll be very from the, she'd always start with the last one and if you hadn't read it read this thing there you just simply okay. I really need to know this thing. Otherwise, you know, I'm just not used to play on you. One day. I'll get to play the same trick on somebody else and get that feeling of satisfaction.

14:49 Family members in the teachers who helps you want to do now is just kind of talked a little bit more about just in general because important things for any scientist is answering that question of how and why write and every scientist has come about in science is always been some kind of or maybe they'd there's several different types of your kind of events your motivation to do something that happened at Sparks, that creative drive and increments different for different people. And understanding that is really, really important because you can kind of get a lot of understanding about the signs that you're speaking with. And everybody story is different so I can my case, you know, you are a scientist and so it was natural that I would let you know be surrounded with you for me. I was surrounded by scientists, you know, I was assigned to a presentation at a very early age.

15:49 Over my head, but I had to expose you to that material. But in your case, it's a little bit different, right? Because you are pursuing, they were they had different occupations. So, I guess maybe tell me more about, you know, where the majority of your family members, what kind of work that they were doing, what kind of work that they continue to do now. And also talked about how you first started getting into science. What was it? What was that moment where you can talk to yourself over the asking? Cuz I mean, you have a shrewd observation about my family. Obviously, my father was a merchant seashore in India and therefore, none of my family immediate family members have gone past the high school and

16:49 Another family stickers for you and everybody involved in my great, great Friday and a great family. Appliance in the sense that they were very good in the language of Tamara and then they wrote poems about pricing, the god that kind of a thing. As I said to me, they instill in me. Education is important and they are teachers like their Fort, they somehow get in. Do some curiosity, then I was finishing my 8th grade. I was about 13 years old. I go to a example, I light an exam and it had the ability, all the advantage of being taught by teachers. I was looking but I had over the most of the kids.

17:49 I got an a scholarship to go to a much better high school that little town. Therefore, I go to the high school in the city of my friends there and they said, I develop an interest in chemistry. The reason is I remember my father is a soft Merchant, you know, the way in which you make solved it, take the salt water and evaporate and the Crystal, something like I would have never imagined 45 years later. I will be working. And it's like, it's like, like you trying to deflect crystals using x-rays. That's a different story. But me if it's science was the colors. Right? Chemistry means colors of stuff. When I went to the labs, even in the high school. I always looked at the colored Solutions. And then the VA in which things produced like a like things explode at the kind of things, always fascinated me.

18:49 The coolest thing to study for my friends in high school, help me. Then I go to college that is where I meet. As, you know, your talk to talk to me about the, your Spanish teacher Miss Silva, who had inspired you to study Spanish? No more thing. You said great chemistry. Teacher was so fascinated by him. I asked him. How come you are the one thing he told me he'd been almost 40, 45 years ago. Is this not a lot of people who are teachers professors. The one difference is he was teaching me when I was in the just out of freshman in high school.

19:43 And then he was also teaching people who are in the fourth year of undergraduate level chemistry specialist chemistry and saving freshman to what you call it America. The Freshman chemistry chemistry 101 by. You are able to come, he told me one quart or one of his experience summer. When I teach freshman what I think is, what I was, as a freshman when I was in college, how much I knew about chemistry before I come down to the refreshments level of experience. And then, teach from that perspective. You, when I move to the 40, I remember how I was in the undergraduate and I tease that's an important thing. Most of the people will be benefited by knowing this technique. This is how I get

20:43 Interested in chemistry, I go on to finish my undergraduate and then go and do Masters. I need my other friend who would become my not only my friend but also my PhD colleague. Very good friendship and then going to do a PhD in the Indian Institute of science. Bangalore. One of the Premier Institute. This is kind of the time during the the PHD in Tuscany. The post of these are kind of relieved a significant about the training. You really really can't begin to commit to the discipline as you pointed out, wanting to be a scientist.

21:38 It's fantastic, right? But that's a really, really with a broad range of biology or physics. Are they very quickly that you're really interested in chemistry. You enjoy the color of my true nature of it is very, very, very spontaneous. If you compare that to me. Be like in physics for your study, take a very, very long time to develop. So you found out you're a young that you kind of really really liked chemistry. That was really really, really really make or break your interest in the subject. Right? So I I remember I going to take all to myself.

22:38 Even when I was young it was always something that just went over my head and explain everything very, very, well. There was a lot of accessibility to help things ideas and things like office hours. And, you know, I never saw myself, but I didn't relatively well in it, but I really want to kind of pick up on some scientists and their kind of education did lots of different disappointing. Even if you take something like chemistry, you find out, okay. Alright. I want to be a chemist. That's great. That's fantastic, but even with so much variety,

23:38 Organic chemistry, very different from the work that you wanted to do something more along the wrongs of physical chemistry. You mentioned, I keep secrets. I guess I want. What I want to talk about is, you know, when you got to the Indian Institute of science, kind of know, I have a clear idea of, you know, what, you're going to write your thesis already. Did you know exactly what kind of work that you wanted to do? Or did you kind of have to clobber a little bit more with your PhD mentor and kind of flesh out your project tell me more about it because obviously, you know, somebody who's going to be the experience of Rogers school right now. I know there's a lot that can happen in a locked and chained sometimes as well. So, tell me a little bit about your professors and your colleagues and how your project developed

24:38 I'm glad you asked me that. It's so interesting when I joined like most of the enthusiastic people.

24:51 You first thing about wonder, how you're going to develop academically like it so happened. I think it is happening to you. Two is when you go from a undergraduate or graduate master's-level studying the funding for the exam. Like when you do it this way, it's got to be so Rude. Why you are not searching? You are researching idea what you're trying to do something with this early. Not known very clearly, not the whole minutes. It is it was interesting, then.

25:31 Hi Southern by two of my three of my best friends and I miss you. My mentioned, when my master degree and then Sashi, who is an intellectual and very quiet person.

25:45 And they gave it to you. Who was mine is also one of my colleagues these three people actually expand my experience Beyond science light. This is the first time

25:59 I am leaving my home state where I was comfortable with speaking. My native language. I go to Bangalore, where the Indians for science is located.

26:10 Babe, the native language is different from the language. They spoke not only that being a premier Institute. We get people from throughout India who spoke very, very different languages, right? They come from different socioeconomic, backgrounds. They come from different religions, obviously.

26:33 People for wanting to learn more, they're very open-minded and very Progressive.

26:41 You remember the number for my family? And I did not know much beyond my scientific growth.

26:58 I'm actually getting better exposure to intellectuals who have ideas which are much more different, much more diverse than I was. I was I was hurting before if I bought the sexy. Rarity and Amish introduce me to new ideas, new way of thinking, new Concepts, that opens my mind, like they say, then that famous Court, the battlefield 1 Deluxe, if it is open-minded similar to apologize, right? I completely blown away by this institute, the new ideas, new languages, New Concepts, and not only I expand on my scientific knowledge and also settle in socially. I actually made sure I was 21. When I arrive there by the time I finish

27:53 I am much better person than I started. Not only in scientifically science goes, you know, you have seen that some months, the projects go over some men. See some continuously have disappointment after this appointment. And then later on you realized. Oh my God, if this point was known to me, I would have finished the project 6 months earlier. I ate. It happens to have challenges that other graduate students, but there's a really interesting one that you point. This is where you are coming from one of those southernmost it. That's Dimas at the southernmost state of Indiana, where they speak our native language.

28:53 States where their speaking a different language? What language is kind of has it too. If you were to cross the Florida-Georgia border line language. That's basically the difference that you pointed out. This difference is even more exacerbated because you have people were coming from all over and even if you were coming from Rajasthan from before, you were in one of the Premier Institute in India, and so one of them that I wanted it quickly, just one of the questions I wanted to find out, if I'm a lot of students that graduate program. We sometimes sit down and think to ourselves.

29:44 I really belong here with all these brilliant people. I mean like, you know, all these people have been so many things. What am I doing? And if so, how do you cope without absolutely isolated? This happened to times for me? I have all the language of the body language barrier. Was there. Everybody spoke English. I studied in Tamil medium school. That's what it means. Other than the English language language, spoken English. And then that was fast. I was kind of considered, however, as I've pointed out a boat in my, a PST time and I want to see, see and be where I meet my friend yoginder. And these two people were so helpful to me, and then they basically wonder if the courts.

30:44 You may not understand the language they speak because every discipline has its own code. Words are special words, but if you learn if he knew were disciplined. The only thing you need to do is like, you look up a word in a dictionary. That is what exactly you need to do, because I go from chemistry to biology in Hyderabad after my Bangalore PhD. And then I come to Boston, that is where I do. My. My boss part to Fellowship. That is also also you'll get this advice, help me. Try to find out what you already know and what is the code word for in this discipline is he could have the discipline that you know, then they can translator.

31:44 Are you record? This is so you publish it and everything is good. I said, good, an air quotes because of course, once you get that degree, many outside you might think. All right, you've spent a doctor and now you might think. Alright, you're set to go. Everything is fine and dandy. But the reality is that, often times as many people kind of, once they are part of that degree. They think themselves man. Oh man, like some people will go and try to get a job or a good. Many folks will do is they will follow the route that you did. Which is hopefully I will get there one day. But many people when I spoke into the current and former, they talked about, you know, the post careers because they have the degree and they can kind of just now they have the flexibility in the freedom to kind of creating Innovative. And so tell me a bit more about your post doctoral.

32:44 I said that I have not obviously had the chance to experience quite yet. So tell me more about. You are specifically the folks that you worked with and around to a certain extent. That was my starting work did not go as well. As other anticipated, unfortunately, wasn't Boston, and then but at the same time, the person with whom I was working Lee and Diane. His wife moved to start a new program in Tallahassee. This is, we're talking about 1992 and then I may be more suitable to do a job rather than an extended version. David offered me a new job in the program in Tallahassee in Florida State. I'm still single, but I'm going to be meeting your mother and getting married within a few months there for. That was a big transition. I go to India and meet you.

33:44 Mother and get married, of course, but I know your mother and my wife. She's almost half of my life sucks this to her because she's very patient and Frugal person and, you know, your mom and a lot of things, I read your article on in consumer report about mutual, funds, and stocks and bonds and stuff like that. Like, these two things, You Are Mother's frutales patient, bringing and my 70s reading, or accidental reading of this book article. Help me build a good life in Tallahassee to three years. After we are married, you are born here and then I tried to teach a little bit about how to say. So that one day, you will be

34:44 Able to have a good life and what might our father. And my father brought me yesterday, his friend the same techniques. I tried to do to your other treating me one like, at my friend's house and you can just say a few words about that and see how that is going. Well, I mean, there's somebody who's kind of following in your footsteps. I'd like to think that I'm doing reasonably. Okay, so far. So actually, tell us a little bit more about how you met her and how and I decided that science has to do with one big commitment, but obviously, that's a whole other

35:44 Actually, this is so funny. You ask I met and married your mother in that unlikely. Very traditional. Indian way, light, I leave America. India. My family has met your grandfather, a family. And they like the family, and they like your mom said to go ahead, I meet with her, I speak with her on a short time. She seems to be impressed. She has to say, yes, I've always had this wouldn't have happened before she's for something. She sees season me and she said she doesn't mind me being in America and she actually wants to leave Indian go and explore new places. The First turns out to be a perfect combination for us and then we get married within

36:44 Length of my Liberty, Indian. We come back and winter of 1992 to Boston. We stay there for a short while and we come to Tallahassee in July 4th of July, 4th of July 1993 to Tallahassee, and then move on to Tampa. So, I think we're kind of closer to the end of this is going to be kind of remiss if I didn't. So I asked you two questions. I want you to answer both of them to you, and I want you to really is, as you pointed out, we've spoken about your story growing up, as in a small village and you're not even coming for studying then coming to the United States.

37:44 See where you made kind of, you know, how to do very, very successful, happy life for yourself. And it seems like it's kind of like, no one, nice long, but the reality of the situation is like that often times. And as it is, in your case, there's a lot of pitfalls in difficulties as well. Right? So, I guess, you know, my question, first of all, you no talk to me about you and maybe one specific difficulty, or one specific complication that one really, really big ones that are always in your life. And yeah, speak about how you and maybe another person I help Rectify it and also as somebody who is, you know had the chance to be a scientist make scientific career. If you know, you're obviously talking to, you know, somebody like me who is trying to be a perfect. So if you could just put yourself a twenty-six-year-old trying to find out, you know, his you know, what you going to do with his life or maybe to anybody who might try and be kind of trying to figure out you know, where they fit in.

38:44 Professional sphere. What advice would you give to somebody? Who's kind of like like in my shoe, somebody was kind of trying to figure out, you know, what they're going to do with the rest of their life, or maybe it'll fit in a tell the stories when I was almost lost out. Like, I could not, I did not get selected in the first round was a big disappointment for my dad and found myself because I did very well, but I could not get into my master's program because I came from a system where the grading was very different and they started ended is the new semester system, which was new at the university, the other half of the interest. It did not have a Master System assistant. I was almost about to be lost in my getting a master's. It's what I've ruined my career and some people help me or

39:44 The second important thing is, when I was becoming an apartment residents of this country, where we became very close to being having to leave America because of the delay in getting the Immigrant visa. And once again, it is not no fault of ours, but I had stayed a little bit. I had taken the time to process my application. You're getting little bit delayed. Fortunately, those two times. I was able to come through more importantly, in a situation where you are now, as they say, it is just before, I think things will clear. And then you'll see my God. I was so worried about that particular juncture in my life. It'll become better last thing. I want to say to you. Yes.

40:44 I started in signs. I am doing, I'm still in the University, but I'm not doing as much science as I get done before because I found something else, which is more interesting and I start early and do something else which is what you are. A passion is as they said you find a passion. You don't have to work for another day in your life. I am sure you will find something if it is what you like to do and the PST is adjuster training for you and hopefully that fashion will be what you pursue. Three of your life with an agreement, which I love you too critically, and I'm the hard work, you're going through hell probably help you out.

41:39 So, instead of closing, I do have one more question for you. Right? And it's so you had a great run at least, you know, you got a lot more phenomena are coming from India. And in addition, to also very recently, being awarded with the distinguished University Scholars. Always has no wanted to read when you look back. So maybe not so much a regret that you have. But let's say that, you know, tomorrow is a genie appears in front of you, get to have one.

42:38 Is one moment that you can change in your life with his one historical event in your life that you can alter it right? You you got this light, right? There's one thing that you could be an exam or it could be an acceptance or rejection letter from the University. You get one do over one chance to go and rewrite your story, read your history that it wasn't what you going to do. One thing. I would have wanted to see use of my mother to have little bit longer so that I would have had little bit more memories of what I know is. She was not very battled. I see how the medical condition. The one thing I would have ever wanted was my mother to have little bit longer, but I would have had either way. I'm in the other way to put in, to see if she had, I have the more better memories of my one mother. And the other thing is obviously that which is a kind of a future looking.

43:38 You get what you want? I and Mom, do you want or not? You get what you really want? That's more important, the future Genie and the Pasadena versus my mother could have lived longer. The future of the universe is that you get what you want. Rather than what I am. Mom, your mom want you to get, which would be the happiest thing for you.

44:06 And yours is hoping a genie will pop into my life and give me what I want most for Thanksgiving tomorrow. So, you know, as we reflect on, you know, that thing that we're thankful for even talked about so many of the folks in your life and I'll just run out by saying, you know, thank you again for the conversation. There's been a lot of ugly think I've talked about, and actually, you know, a couple of things that I've actually learned about that. I didn't know about sharing your story again, and maybe 10-15 years from now, we'll have this interview flipped and maybe it'll be you interviewing me. Next. With the units here has given us an opportunity. Be talked about have a life and I really want to thank the story. Go people for living is to record this and

45:06 The one benefit, maybe somebody who's maybe interested later on and with that. Once again, I thank you for being here. And thank you. Patiently asking me, questions and the learning more about. The last thing I will say, is you do finally to The Listener who's taking the time to listen to this conversation. Thank you for taking the time to listen to it. We appreciate it. Hopefully you got something from this needs to be snowflakes. Are you off from it? But you were listening and happy holidays. Be well, stay safe and take care.