A dedicated teacher of economics in the American College, madurai, Dr.Shyamala has carved a special niche for herself in the academic profession by blending research with committed teaching. One of her most significant achivements in her authorship of a book on econometrics in Tamil. She has established herself as a teacher of excellence both in English and Tamil. She is active in important professional bodies having chaired both the Undergraduate and Post graduate Economics Associations and has rendered service as dean of Women's Studies in her college. She has completed a major research study supported by the UGC focusing on consumer behaviour, a field in which she earned her doctorate using econometric analysis. An active participant in the confrences of professional organizations Shyamala has worked on questions on contemporary relevance such as globalisation and issues relating to gender. Active in teh sphere of teacher training hshe has participated actively in the organisation of refresher courses. A landmark in her career is the publication of a book titled Windows to Economics, brought out by students under her guidence. She has papers in journals as also edited volumes.

In recognition of her achivements the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award for the Best Teacher in Economics is presented to her on the twenty-first day of November 2007 in Chennai.