The College of Science is pleased to announce that Dr. Rajeev Azad, interdisciplinary professor and researcher of mathematics, biological sciences, and computer science at the University of North Texas for nearly ten years, has been awarded the 2020-21 Millicent and Eugene Faculty Mentoring Award from the Texas Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. In the past year, Dr. Azad also received the University of North Texas College of Science's Faculty Research Excellence Award, and in 2016, he was the recipient of the Early Career Award from Mathematical Biosciences Institute.
"Dr. Azad is passionate about providing learning opportunities to students and including them in his research," said Dr. Jyoti Shah, Chair of the UNT Biological Sciences department. "During his time at UNT, he has mentored 18 graduate and over 30 undergraduate students, who have collectively authored over 40 publications. The success of his mentoring is further evident from the awards and recognition his previous mentees have received and the professional success they have achieved after graduation from UNT."
Dr. Azad's lab for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology focuses on development and application of interdisciplinary methods and approaches to understand how microorganisms innovate to adapt to changes in environment. His group works to analyze large datasets to determine how organisms respond to stress at the molecular and physiological level.
"Mentorship is immensely satisfying- what could be better than to see your students succeed and become next generation of leaders in their fields?" said Dr. Azad. "Well-mentored mentees may also become outstanding mentors, perhaps a win-win for all!"
In the award letter from American Society for Microbiology, Texas Branch President Dr. Madhusudan Choudhary states, "Great mentors are probably the number one factor that keep students engaged in research and set them forth on successful career paths. As evidenced by the extraordinary comments your nominator and letter writers wrote about the time and effort you spend mentoring the students at your institution and the level of success your past students have had, it is clear that mentoring is a priority in your career."
"I am honored and very thankful to the Society for recognizing my contributions to mentoring and honoring me with this award," said Dr. Azad. "This also reflects on my mentees' dedication and hard work, and importantly, their excitement for the science they do and their accomplishments during their times here and after graduation. This couldn't have been possible without this cohort of dedicated young researchers passionate for their science and their desire to contribute to the society through impactful research."
To learn more about Dr. Azad's interdisciplinary research check out the Bioinformatics Lab, or visit UNT Biological Sciences or UNT Mathematics for more information on our degree plans, programs, and exceptional faculty.