Prof. Aruna Chinnappan joined Pondicherry University in 2002 and specializes in the field of social networks, women and elderly. She headed the Department of Sociology (March 2022- 2025) and was also the head in-charge of the Centre for Women’s Studies (August 2018 – February 2023). She served as a core faculty of the UGC innovative programme on Sustainable Development (2005-2010) and was a coordinator for P.G Diploma in Rural Development (2015-2016). She holds more than 24 years of progressive experience in research and teaching. Apart of the academic activities, she had been part of the administrative bodies of the University such as Court, Executive council and Academic council. She was a member of Institutional Ethics Committee (Human Studies) for Intervention studies at JIPMER and expert member for gender sensitization programmes of the National Commission for Women. She has attended training programmes on social network analysis and life course perspective abroad. Her completed research projects include ICSSR funded ‘Social Networks of Rural Elderly Women: Implications for Healthcare Services’, Azim Premji University Research Grant on ‘Parental Involvement and Peer group Support for Academic Performance’ and research study on ‘Migrant Women in Unorganized Sector with Special Reference to Puducherry (UT)’ supported by National Commission for Women. She is also member of several expert groups constituted by Government of Puducherry for social impact assessment and have coordinated Social audit of implementation of PMAY Housing Scheme at Puducherry.

Social Network Analysis, Social Gerontology and Sociology of Gender