Rekha R. Srinivasan has been no stranger to winning teaching awards since arriving at 杏吧视频 in 2005. From the Carl F. Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching she earned in her fifth year to the 2015鈥16 Faculty Advisor of the Year Award from the Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable and a 2016 J. Bruce Jackson, MD, Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring, her list of accolades runs long.
Now, she鈥檒l add another award to the list as she earns the Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching once again. This year鈥檚 award will be presented during the College of Arts and Sciences鈥 undergraduate diploma ceremony Sunday, May 21.
As was the case in Srinivasan鈥檚 first nomination, students praised her for her fierce dedication to not only chemistry, but to them and their futures. They expressed thankfulness for a compassionate and passionate professor who 鈥渃ares about her students on a personal level,鈥 an instructor who invests considerable time and energy into those students and who has a 鈥渇ocus into developing students beyond her course.鈥
鈥淪he somehow manages to tie chemistry course content to everyday life,鈥 one student wrote in nominating Srivrinasan. 鈥淪he gives advice to her students and encourages them to stay passionate.鈥
Another said: 鈥淪he is witty, full of energy, and engaging during every class...She continuously strives to put a smile on our faces鈥ives life and career advice during class and reads us inspirational quotes to help us on our college journeys and beyond.鈥
Srinivasan began her teaching career in her native India after earning master鈥檚 degrees in organic chemistry and analytical chemistry, before earning a PhD in chemistry from 杏吧视频 in 2003.
鈥淚 am humbled and elated,鈥 Srinivasan said after being named as a 2023 recipient. 鈥淚 always said to myself that I would make every effort to keep growing as a teacher and mentor. To win this award a second time and to have this connection with another generation of students makes me feel that I am on the right track!鈥
Srinivasan said that the challenges of teaching have changed dramatically over the last few years鈥攕omething she addressed in a remarkably unique fashion during the pandemic by offering a virtual cooking class for her students (and their families).
鈥淚 feel that to reach out to students of today, we have to recognize that the challenges they face are very different from those faced by students a few years ago or for that matter before the pandemic,鈥 she said. 鈥淏y understanding and acquiring tools to help our students handle these challenges, we can be more effective educators.鈥
About the award
Created in 1964, the Wittke Award for Undergraduate Teaching is named for Carl Frederick Wittke, who, from 1948 to 1963, was professor of history, chair of the Department of History and vice president of Western Reserve University. Faculty members who teach undergraduates are eligible for the award, which recognizes excellence in their efforts. Undergraduates nominate candidates; a committee of students interviews nominated faculty members and recommends winners. Two faculty members receive the award each year.
