October 11, 2002
Professor Walia has inspired a generation of students with his enthusiasm and love for teaching
by Joe Hughes, Intern in the Offices of Public Affairs and Publications
At
the fall 2002 faculty convocation, the University Senate recognized Dr.
Jasjit Walia, professor of chemistry, with the Excellence in Teaching
Award. A faculty member for 36 years, Walia has also earned such prestigious
awards as the Dux Academicus and the Outstanding American Educators Award.
What inspires his rave reviews?
Walia sits in his office in an old swivel chair with a kind, beaming smile on his face, but just to make sure students are not uncomfortable, he immediately offers a mug filled with Hershey kisses. "I keep candy in my office because so many of my students are only sophomores, they're often scared to meet with the 'big professor.' I do this to let them know I'm not so bad," he says. Walia teaches organic chemistry, billed as the hardest class a science student at Loyola will ever take; he observes this fact is enough to make students shake with dread. Far from being threatening, Walia is rather inspiring.
In his acceptance speech, Walia shared his belief that students walk into class with invisible signs on their necks that read, "Make me learn. Make me feel important, and help me to grow intellectually, spiritually, and socially." He strives to help his students unlock their inner potential, to foster in them an attitude that makes them feel capable of anything. Among his many mottos, the five P's stand out: pride preparation prevents poor performance. For him, it is imperative to see the student as a person with thoughts, needs, and feelings.
Walia stresses the importance of establishing a personal relationship with his students. "To reach students you must come to their level, make them feel comfortable and respected. Students are the product we [teachers] produce; our goal is to create the best product, bring the best out of them," he asserts. Walia encourages his students to work harder by making positive comments on their tests; he keeps flexible office hours and gives out his home phone number to ensure his students can get the help they need. Many times the help they need extends beyond questions of chemistry. "Students have come here [to the office] and poured their hearts out . . . about their personal problems. I just sit and listen; I feel my job is to be sort of a guide, really," he notes. "It's not about knowledge. It's about how much care you give a student." Walia's fives C'sconcern, care, compassion, commitment, and callingapply to him the way the five P's apply to his students. "The greatest compliment is when grateful students come back and tell me that organic chemistry changed their whole outlook on life; then I know I've earned their respect."
Walia sees teaching as a divine calling; he emphasizes spirituality through teaching: helping others as well as oneself to become holy, happy, and healthy. A devout Sikh, he strongly identifies with the values of humility and service outlined in Loyola's mission statement. "I encourage students to develop good values from a scientific standpoint. I tell them, 'When you become a doctor, don't be arrogant. Take it as a blessing of God. Don't become greedy.' I want students to leave Loyola with a sense of the righteous life, of moral, social, spiritual, and ethical values," he notes. Walia also stresses the importance that Loyola's professors play in reflecting Loyola to the rest of the world. "When students say something good about us, Loyola's name becomes a shining example to others," he says.
Perhaps the greatest testaments to these beliefs are the nomination letters that current students, graduates, and alumni submitted on Walia's behalf. A current biology/pre-med student wrote, "I can think of no one who better exemplifies the ideal of Jesuit education than Dr. Walia. His humanism, his confidence, his patience, and his intellect make him an excellent candidate for this award." A chemistry junior revealed, "I will miss his class dearly." Among the 2002 graduates, one wrote, "Dr. Walia's courses taught me to study. Never had I worked so hard and devoted myself to one thing and was rewarded so fully." Another graduate noted, "His mild manner and love for his students makes Dr. Walia one of the best professors this university has to offer." One alumnus had this to say, "I often tell him how happy I am, how successful I have become, and what an incredible difference he has made in my life, instilling within me the virtues of St. Ignatius."