By Jennifer Eder
Rahul Simha, a GW professor of engineering and applied science, has been selected as the District’s Professor of the Year.
Each year since 1981, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognize four national winners and individual state winners as being Professors of the Year. The program is the only national program that recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
"I was thrilled, but not surprised, when I learned that Professor Simha had won this major award,” says David Dolling, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. “He brings energy, excitement and enthusiasm to the classroom.”
Dr. Simha, a professor in the Department of Computer Science within the School of Engineering and Applied Science, first came to GW as a visiting professor in 1998 on a sabbatical from the College of William and Mary. When his sabbatical ended, he decided to stay at GW.
“I sensed that GW would be a good fit for me and give me lots of opportunities. The campus was really active and had an exciting environment,” says Dr. Simha, who became an associate professor at GW in 2000.
Dr. Simha says he is thankful to have won the Professor of the Year award because it brings recognition to GW.
“I feel very lucky to have the students and colleagues that I’ve shared experiences with these past 10 years,” says Dr. Simha. “This award will help raise the profile of teaching at GW at a time when we’re also expanding research.”
In addition to teaching several classes a semester, Dr. Simha has helped to revamp and diversify the computer science undergraduate curriculum.
“I can state unequivocally that he has had a significant positive impact on how undergraduate computer science is taught at GW, and he continues to be forward-thinking in proposing ways to update and improve the overall engineering undergraduate curriculum,” says Dianne Martin, associate vice president for graduate studies and academic affairs.
Dr. Simha and the other 37 state Professor of the Year winners along with the four national winners are being honored today in the District at the W Washington D.C. Hotel and later this evening at the Folger Shakespeare Library.
While computer science courses can be intimidating and complex, Dr. Simha focuses on encouraging students to stick with the program.
“I tell my students that they’re not going to ‘get it’ in one day. And they’re not going to feel like they’re making progress for a while. It’s similar to how musicians feel when they’re first learning to play an instrument,” says Dr. Simha. “But I tell them that anyone can learn these skills.”
Dr. Martin describes Dr. Simha as a “tough, fair and excellent teacher.”
“Students regard his sophomore and junior level software engineering courses to be the toughest in the undergraduate curriculum, but when they finish it, they have a real sense of accomplishment. They leave with the confidence that they are ready to do professional level programming,” says Dr. Martin. “Students also know that he is always ready to provide help outside of class to enable them to master the material.”
When Dr. Simha isn’t in the classroom or meeting one-on-one with students, he’s conducting research. Most recently, Dr. Simha received a grant from the National Science Foundation to research computer systems security.
“I’m researching how the next generation of computers will protect against hackers,” he says.
Dr. Simha is also serving on the GW Teaching Consortium Task Force, which created a Faculty Learning Community earlier this year where senior faculty train a cohort of junior faculty on advanced pedagogical teaching methods. For example, Dr. Simha is advocating for more collaborative learning methods, rather than traditional lecturing.
“He has been a leader for many years in developing new approaches to teaching and training other faculty to teach,” says Dean Dolling. “He is a wellspring of innovative ideas and approaches. The Carnegie award is well deserved recognition of his passion for seeing students learn and helping faculty teach.”