December 2, 2022
Time:
4:30 pm
Facebook Live
Committed to initiate conversations on teaching and learning, the LUMS Learning Institute presents, ‘Making a Difference in the Classroom and Beyond: A conversation with the winners of Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence’, a special edition of the Teaching and Learning Talk Series.
The live panel discussion (happening at the NICL Auditorium at LUMS) will feature the winners of this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence who will discuss what good teaching means to them. This exclusive session, that is being webcast live from the LUMS Facebook page is being moderated by Dr. Muhammad Tariq, member of the last year’s cohort of the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
Date: December 2, 2022
Time: 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Venue: Facebook Live and NICL Auditorium, LUMS
About the Panellists
Dr. Haniya Azam
Department of Mathematics
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Dr. Haniya Azam is recognised by her students and colleagues at LUMS and young students who participate in Math Circles, as an exceptional teacher dedicated to helping all students master mathematics. She identifies students’ anxiety about mathematics and then takes them on a journey to build their understanding of (often abstract) mathematical concepts. She does this through meticulous design of her courses, engaging lectures and demonstrations, and a range of assessment tasks and feedback. Dr. Azam invests in building learning environments inside and outside the classroom where all students feel welcome to engage, to question, and feel supported to learn. As one student said, “Dr. Azam is one of those educators who takes interest in and supports students’ personal and professional development. For an institution like LUMS where students come from diverse backgrounds, instructors like Dr. Azam make this journey invigorating and rewarding.” This is a true testament to Dr. Azam’s unwavering commitment to going above and beyond to help her students to learn.
Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem
Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Dr. Rahman Saleem is an outstanding science teacher who uses innovative pedagogical approaches to keep students excited about learning Chemistry. He makes complex theoretical content meaningful to students by encouraging multi-dimensional, out-of-the-box thinking through a variety of assessments and engaging learning activities. From tracing the historical evolution of concepts, to highlighting cutting-edge research and dominant unanswered questions, he transforms theory into applicable, real-world problems for his students to solve. As one student commented, Dr. Saleem, “…was one of those few instructors who focused on understanding rather than covering the course content” and has been a kind and caring mentor whose “…one-to-one interaction did not stumble even in quarantine as he was always one message away…” His commitments to student mentorship and partnership are clear indicators of Dr. Saleem’s dedication to helping students become the next generation of scientists who can make a difference in Pakistan and beyond.
Dr. Syed Zahid Ali
Economics
Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr. Zahid Ali is guided by the idea that teaching is his “gateway to learning”. He continuously ignites his students’ natural curiosity to learn through engaging storytelling that makes economics come to life. Dr. Zahid has also developed a unique problem-solving model that guides students in approaching complex and abstract concepts through intuition, mathematical foundation, and graphical representation. His novel teaching methods and attention to giving feedback are making a sizable difference to his students’ learning. As one student can attest, Dr. Zahid has “changed my perspective towards macroeconomics… and [we] respect you so much because you have given us a level of knowledge that we wouldn't have found anywhere else. I've never had a teacher put in such level of effort in making sure that their students get the concepts.” The support and mentoring that Dr. Zahid has offered students and colleagues over his 20 years at LUMS has been exceptional. His dedication to meaningful and enduring learning is unparalleled – he has truly evolved to be one of the most outstanding student-centered teachers at LUMS.
Dr. Imran Cheema
Electrical Engineering
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Dr. Imran Cheema’s philosophy of teaching is grounded in his overarching goal to “stimulate joy in students’ learning experiences” and cultivate “ah ha” moments where their learning becomes visible. As one student proudly shared, “he inculcated this sense of intellectual and scientific curiosity which was highly infectious… he would encourage me to cross more boundaries in my intellectual journey and expand my knowledge.” Dr. Cheema’s excellence in teaching electrical engineering has been recognised by students and colleagues for its academic rigor and how he engages students to help them learn complex mathematical and scientific concepts. Whether he is using real life examples, visualisations and demonstrations or metaphors, he aims to reach all students and help them to learn. Dr. Cheema’s incorporation of varied assessment techniques and his responsiveness to regular student feedback on his teaching and course design help to ensure that student learning is at the heart of his teaching. He is without a doubt one of LUMS’ most highly effective instructors, and a caring mentor who enthusiastically inspires students to love complex subjects of engineering and science.
Dr. Hamad Alizai
Computer Science
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Dr. Hamad Alizai is an exceptional computer science teacher who makes enduring contributions to his peers’ and his students’ learning. His commitment to improving teaching through the Learning Institute demonstrates exceptional educational leadership. To his students, Dr. Hamad “…has the gift of teaching. He has the rare ability to truly light up the classroom with inspiration.” Whether it is through peer teaching, novel discussion techniques, authentic assessments, or technology, he engages students at every level and inspires them with unwavering support and creative energies. Dr. Alizai works meticulously to give students space in class to collaborate, engage, and learn. Frequent student feedback informs his teaching and is another indication that he puts student learning first. As one student highlighted, “It is not always easy to change students' lives, so it takes a great teacher like Dr. Alizai to do so. He is a true role model for all his students, and I learned the meaning of learning’ from him.” Dr. Alizai is deeply dedicated to learning and to sharing that learning to help others to grow and develop – and this makes him one of LUMS most treasured teachers.
About the Moderator
Dr. Muhammad Tariq
Molecular Biology
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Dr. Muhammad Tariq, Associate Professor in Cell and Molecular Biology at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), is one of the five awardees of the inaugural Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Tariq is considered a master storyteller by his students and colleagues in Biology. His philosophy of ‘no question is a stupid question’ has gone a long way in shaping critical thinkers and motivating his students. He captivates students and takes them on a journey that delves into theoretical concepts in ways that keeps them interested and excited to learn. His teaching strategies prompt students to think independently, question the existing views in his field and define new questions of scientific inquiry.
