Excellence in Graduate Mentoring and Advising honors graduate advisors and faculty members who have distinguished themselves as being highly committed to the advising and mentoring of graduate students.
Aly Fathy
Like the radio waves that Aly Fathy studies, the advice he transmits to graduate students travels far. His advising philosophy involves understanding student needs and aspirations, carefully considering each individual’s background, culture, and experiences to identify what will work best. This no-boundaries approach serves as a launching pad to success for his students; as one put it, “He assists me in becoming the very best scientist and engineer of the future.” He encourages students to believe in their own capabilities and take risks that go beyond the boundaries of conventional knowledge. Fathy, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has developed several new courses and laboratories and recruited many talented graduate and undergraduate students since arriving at UT a decade ago. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a past recipient of the university’s Alexander Prize.
Vejas Liulevicius
An internationally known scholar of German history, World War I, and diplomatic history, Vejas Liulevicius is known as an outstanding role model and mentor for graduate students. Liulevicius specializes in modern German history, with a particular focus on German relations with Eastern Europe. He completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Hoover Institute on War, Peace, and Revolution from 1994 to 1995. He has taught at UT since 1995 and served as director of the Center for the Study of War and Society since 2008. Liulevicius received the Provost’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003 and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012.