Three Cullen College professors have been recognized by the University of Houston for their excellence in professorship and research as part of the university-wide teaching and research awards given each spring.
Ashutosh Agrawal, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Jeffrey Rimer, Ernest J. and Barbara M. Henley assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, were both awarded teaching excellence awards by the university. The Teaching Excellence Awards are presented to faculty members who shine in the classroom and take their lesson plans above and beyond the national standards. In addition, electrical and computer engineering professor Zhu Han has received an award of excellence in research, scholarship or creative activity from the University of Houston’s Division of Research. This award recognizes faculty who have established a growing record of outstanding research, scholarship or creative contributions, and who are emerging leaders in their field.
Agrawal, who researches topics in biophysics and the mechanics of surfaces and interfaces, said his teaching philosophy is to ensure his students understand the fundamentals “in a way that is fun,” he said. For his classes, this means lots of hands-on experiments and visual learning.
Rimer, who has previously received university-level awards for his research excellence, teaches chemical engineering thermodynamics – a pivotal class for students’ engineering education. His research has been featured on multiple journal covers and his research group has published pivotal studies in catalysis and zeolite growth.
Han has already had a busy semester in the Cullen College, earning two unrelated NSF grants this spring to fund his groundbreaking research in electric power assets and cellular infrastructure. Han is also an IEEE Fellow and NSF CAREER Award winner.
For the full list of university teaching and research excellence award winners, click here.