   
IISc has established the Manorama and Sitharama Iyengar Lecture Series in Interdisciplinary Science, instituted by Prof Sundaraja Sitharama Iyengar, eminent Indian-American computer scientist, IISc Distinguished Alumnus (2001), and alumnus of the ME programme at IISc (1970).
The lecture series was inaugurated by Prof Iyengar himself through an inaugural lecture titled “AI-Driven Computing, Data Intelligence, & Sustainable Information Systems.” The well-attended lecture explored the convergence of distributed sensing, algorithmic intelligence, and sustainable computing architectures, linking the foundations of fault-tolerant distributed systems to contemporary challenges in artificial intelligence.
Established in loving memory of his late wife Manorama Iyengar (1955–2022), the lecture series reflects her deep belief in education as a transformative force. Prof Iyengar is internationally renowned for co-inventing the Brooks–Iyengar algorithm for sensor networks and for his seminal contributions to distributed sensing and intelligent systems. His work has received over 150,000 citations, spans 5,000+ publications, and is widely used in universities across the world.
Prof Iyengar said: “Manorama believed education to be the foundation of dignity, independence, and opportunity. Though not an academic by profession, she was an educator at heart – one who valued curiosity, lifelong learning, and independent thinking. This lecture series embodies her belief in sharing ideas and illuminating lives beyond institutional boundaries. I am grateful to our children, Dr Puneeth Iyengar, Dr Vijeth Iyengar, and Shri Veneeth Iyengar, for their constant support.”
