Dr. Karisiddappa is presently the Chief Academic Advisor of Gokula Education Foundation, (Engg. & GS) and is the Former Vice Chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, He has over 40 years of teaching, research and administrative experience in the field of Engineering. His academic qualifications are:

B.E. (Civil Engineering) in 1981, University of Mysore (MCE, Hassan) securing 7th Rank, M.Tech. (Structural Engineering) in 1986 from IIT, Madras and Ph.D. in 1994 from University of Roorkee, Roorkee.

He held various positions across his career including Principal of Government Engineering College, Hassan, Assistant Engineer in KPWD for a very short period. He started his career in the year 1982 as a Lecturer at a Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology, Chikmagalur, and has grown to the level of Vice Principal & Dean (Academic Affairs) at & Malnad College of Engineering, Hassan, served the institution at various levels and capacities for more than 27 years.

Dr. Karisiddappa well recognized for his research, presented and published more than 50 research papers in both International and National Journals, covering civil engineering areas of concrete technology, finite element analysis and structural stability. He has also carried out Research Projects sanctioned by AICTE, DRDO and KSCST and completed various Structural Engineering Consultancy Projects.

He has guided 7 Ph.D. scholars and 1 scholar for M.Sc.(Engg.) by Research, under VTU, Belagavi.

He holds membership in several professional bodies such as Fellow Institution of Engineers, Indian Society for Technical Education and Indian Society of Wind Engineering among others. He is also holds the various prestigious Awards & Recognitions. A few of them as below:

1. ISTE National Award for Best Administrator for the year 2017, in honour of successful administration in the area of Technical Education.
2. Innovative Educator Award 2019 by Mind Matrix, for his vision to create an exciting & supporting learning environment that transforms the engineering students to face new challenges to the society.
3. Eminent Engineer Award 2021, by Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), Bengaluru Centre.
4. Life Time Achievement Award 2021-22, by Noval Research Academy, Puducherry.

Achievements as Vice Chancellor of VTU, from 26-9-2016 to 30-09-2022.

Starting from introducing of in-house Digital Evaluation System at VTU many of his other initiatives include, development of infrastructure and starting of courses under National Skill Development Centre at Dandeli, in association with Govt. of Karnataka, initiation and establishment of VTU Skill Development Centre and PG Centre at Talkal of Hyderabad-Karnataka Region, establishing Centre of Excellence in Aerospace and Defence under VTU in association with Govt. of Karnataka and Dassault Systems, granting Financial Assistance to the students in final year of UG Courses for their Project works, introduction of Research Fellowships to the Research Scholars working at VTU Regional Centers, introduction of new Regulations governing Doctor of Philosophy programmes in accordance with UGC guidelines, introduction of online registration of Research Supervisor and introduction of GATEWAY system through SBI under which all the remittance to the University can be made through online from any corner of the Country. Responsible for introducing Faculty Enrichment Programme and establishing “Human Resource Development Center VTU-HRDC at Muddenahalli Campus, and introduction of new curriculum based on AICTE model curriculum. Responsible for getting 12B status to VTU as per UGC Act, Responsible for implementing activities under TEQIP 1.3. Initiatives to introduce new UG and PG programmes under VTU. Responsible for the establishment of Centres of Excellence under TEQIP 1.3, for Water Technology and Data Science Technique, at Belagavi, Light Weight Materials Manufacturing and testing at Muddenahalli. Establishment of Centre of Excellence in Geospatial Technology at VTU, in association with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Karnataka State Higher Education Dept., Implementation of Research Policies and Starting three new B.Tech. programmes in VTU. Responsible for implementation of NEP-2020 in Engineering education at VTU, introduction of ‘Jnana Yaana’ full time Doctoral Fellowship, Responsible for establishment of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center VTUiNEC and introduction of MBA programme on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Venture Development for working personnel and introduction of M.Arch. programme at VTU PG Centre.

Dr. Karisiddappa visited Taiwan as a member delegate from AIU, New Delhi, to study the Higher Education System. He also visited the University of Salford, Manchester in UK, as a Member delegate from the Higher Education Dept. of State of Karnataka. for the academic collaboration with University of Salford.