Rajinder Pal, recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, 2020

Chemical Engineering

Professor Rajinder Pal is well known for his enthusiasm, high level of knowledge, passion for teaching, and ability to make his lectures exciting and easy to follow, even for the toughest of Engineering courses. As one student noted, “he actively strives to communicate concepts clearly, interspersing graphs and practical examples throughout lectures to explain concepts.” In addition to possessing an in-depth understanding of the course material, he is able to create a classroom where students feel like he is learning with them. Professor Pal provides his students with support while also giving them the opportunity to think for themselves, encouraging them to develop their own solutions before providing them with answers. As another student explained: “He would challenge students to answer their own question by asking several guiding questions exploring the background behind the original question.” It is clear that Pal’s students appreciate his humility as well as his dedication to teaching