Vasu Renganathan

Vasu Renganathan is a Lecturer in Tamil language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania since 1996. He holds two PhDs: one in medieval Tamil language and literature from University of Pennsylvania (2011) and another in linguistics from Annamalai University, India. He previously taught at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and University of Washington, Seattle.

• PhD University of Pennsylvania (medieval Tamil)
• PhD Annamalai University (linguistics)
• Masters University of Washington, Seattle

His research focuses on Tamil language history, medieval religious developments, Sangam literature, Tamil inscriptions, and technological impacts on language pedagogy. He has developed curriculum materials and served as Chairman of INFITT (International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil) and Executive Committee member of SALTA (South Asian Language Teachers Association).

Key publications include:

• Being Kṛṣṇā's Gōpi (2014) - religious power dynamics in Tamil devotional literature
• Tamil Language in Context (2011) - comprehensive language pedagogy
• Rupa, Arupa and Rupa-Arupa (2008) - temple worship forms and architecture

He serves on the International Advisory Board of the Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, Singapore. His teaching methodology emphasizes script literacy through dual Tamil-Roman script instruction while maintaining cultural context and graded proficiency development.