Chemistry Professor Ganesh Ghimire, PhD, is shown with the academic mace he carried during this spring’s commencement ceremony at WVU Potomac State College. Ghimire was named Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2021 earlier this spring.
Assistant Professor of chemistry, Ganesh Ghimire, was named the 2021 Outstanding Professor of the Year this past spring at West Virginia University Potomac State College.
Ghimire began teaching at Potomac State College in 2018, the same year he earned his PhD in organic chemistry from WVU.
Various students who nominated Ghimire for Outstanding Professor had this to say about their professor, “He cares about the subject matter and that his students learn, and I can think of no
other quality that separates the satisfactory from the outstanding teacher more than caring,” and “Like any great teacher, he believes in his students’ ability to learn and succeed. He is always very positive and encouraging, which is helpful to students when they are feeling stressed or anxious.”
Additionally, phrases like “…. outstanding dedication, …uses our individual strengths to help us improve, and … brings enthusiasm and passion to every class every day,” were also used to describe Professor Ghimire’s teaching style by his students.
One example of his commitment to his students came earlier this year when Ghimire applied for and was awarded an Open Education Resources grant which benefited his students by decreasing or eliminating the costs of textbooks and other course materials.
Each year, the Outstanding Professor is also tasked with carrying the Academic Mace during graduation to formally begin and close commencement ceremonies. In addition to symbolizing authority and scholarship, the mace symbolizes the College’s rich heritage and history.