UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Asghar Gholizadeh, a doctoral student in civil engineering, has been named one of four Distinguished Teaching Fellows in the College of Engineering.
“This means a lot to me,” said Gholizadeh. “Penn State, and in particular the Leonhard Center people, are helping me become a more competent applicant for the upcoming faculty positions.”
The fellowship program was created in an effort to assist graduate students interested in pursuing faculty positions. Every year up to 10 doctoral students are chosen to participate in the fellowship.
Gholizadeh began his education in Tehran, Iran, where he received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at K.N. Toosi University. He then completed his master’s degree in structural engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Iran before coming to Penn State to pursue his doctorate in civil engineering.
His area of research at Penn State focuses on the durability and sustainability of concrete infrastructure.
“My Ph.D. dissertation focuses on a major durability issue in concrete called the alkali-silica reaction, for which I have been fortunate enough to work with Dr. Rajabipour,” said Gholizadeh.
As part of the fellowship, Gholizadeh will be teaching a section of C E 336 Materials Science for Civil Engineers next semester. Tong Qiu, associate professor of civil engineering, was originally scheduled to teach two sections of the course this spring but allowed Gholizadeh to take one of his sections as part of the fellowship.
“I have experience teaching this course back in my home country and have been involved with construction materials and the corresponding materials science and characterization techniques for eight years now. I feel very confident as far as the science behind the course is concerned,” said Gholizadeh.
Gholizadeh wants to ensure that his students not only understand the course materials but also are able to implement what they have learned in their future careers. He believes this is important to his student’s education and is something he has found personal success in.
He has also begun to take advantage of some of the fellowship’s other opportunities. The Leonhard Center recently sponsored his trip to the 123rd annual American Society of Engineering Education conference in New Orleans. There, Gholizadeh was exposed to some of the most current trends in the world of education.
Gholizadeh would not have reached this point of success in his career without the support from this family, specifically his mother and wife.
“My mother dedicated her life into making me who I am today, and my wife has been my main support and source of enthusiasm and courage during the past three years at Penn State. I consider this fellowship a beginning for my future faculty career, and I am not going to let anybody down,” said Gholizadeh.