Physics
Professor Pathria first came to Waterloo as a visiting associate professor in 1969. He returned to a full-time appointment in 1971 and was promoted to professor in 1974. Professor Pathria is a well-known scholar and author. He has written dozens of research papers in statistical mechanics, relativity and statistics of polymers. He has also written two excellent textbooks on relativity and on statistical mechanics. These books have been adopted as course texts at many universities in Canada, the U.S.A., the U.K., and in Europe, including such distinguished schools as Toronto, Oxford, Berlin, Warsaw and Budapest. Those reviewing his writing, as well as those commenting on his teaching, repeatedly stress the great clarity of thought in his work. Professor Pathria's teaching spans the broad range from graduate courses, through honours undergraduate courses, to the more general science 200 which is directed at an audience of non-scientists. In all of these courses his instruction has been received with enthusiasm and appreciation. He has consistently been rated very highly in the student evaluations conducted by the science society. He has also been the object of much unsolicited praise by undergraduate students in physics. Professor Pathria has also been involved in graduate and undergraduate teaching through the correspondence programme, and his success extends to that medium also. A part-time student writes: “the encouragement that I have derived from my association with him has enabled me to learn how to study effectively when there is no opportunity to attend lectures.” Professor Pathria was nominated for a Distinguished Teacher Award last year and was cited by the selection committee in its report to senate. His nomination this year was even more impressive. It is very clear indeed that professor Pathria has the enthusiastic respect of his colleagues and students.