Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association (OCUFA) Award
Dr. Akshai Aggarwal
Since joining the University of Windsor’s School of Computer Science in 1999, Dr. Akshai Aggarwal’s (BSc, Punjab; MS, Baroda; PhD, Baroda) work on teaching and curriculum development has had a profound effect on computer science scholarship at the University.
Known for his contributions to the development and delivery of innovative courses and educational materials, Dr. Aggarwal is committed to his students, both past and present, and to their learning environment, both in and out of the classroom. He is concerned with the educational success of traditionally marginalized students, and especially with the development of curricula that facilitate the educational development of students in the university and beyond. He encourages collaborative teaching and learning and envisions the university as an ever-evolving community. Dr. Aggarwal says that his teaching and supervision practices are “characterized by an emphasis on practical and creative problem-solving, and by the fostering of independence, but in a highly supportive context.” He sees the university as an open arena capable of encouraging continued growth and success for direct stake-holders as well as for society as a whole. A former student perhaps says it best when he comments that “Dr. Aggarwal is not only a professor, but a true facilitator of learning, intellectual exchange, and intellectual development in the field of Computer Science.”
Dr. Aggarwal has previously been awarded the University of Windsor’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching (2006), the award for the highest teaching score in his department at the Faculty of Science’s Celebration of Success (2005), Computer Students Society Supportive Faculty Award (2006), the Organization of Part-time University Students’ Faculty Award (2005), and the University’s Faculty of Science Teaching Awards (2001-2004).