Selected Achievements

Remarks by Provost Debbie Storrs:

The Graduate School is pleased to recognize Professor R. Shivaji as the 2023 Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award winner. Described as an “academic father” by colleagues, current and former students, Shivaji embodies what it means to be a mentor, both personally and professionally. He provides mentorship to his graduate students from the beginning of their studies through to their professional careers. His former students praise his “extraordinary ability to seek to understand the emotional, intellectual, and psychological needs of each of his students” and to support them as individuals working to achieve their academic and professional goals. Whether he’s hosting evening special topic seminars with students, driving students to conferences, or treating them to coffee in a cafe, Shivaji infuses the expectations of academic life and research into all his interactions with students. He provides constructive feedback without judgment while clearly stating his expectation that nothing less than excellent work is acceptable. A true teacher-scholar, Shivaji helps his students as well as other students in the department become award-winning researchers and excellent teachers.