Kim-Rajal and Tiwari Honored With
2007 Excellence in Teaching Awards

Patricia Kim-Rajal, Chicano and Latino Studies, and Sunil Tiwari, Mathematics, have been named this year's recipients of the annual Excellence in Teaching Awards. A reception honoring these distinguished professors will be held later in the year.

Dr. Patricia Kim-Rajal

Dr. Patricia Kim-Rajal joined the Sonoma State University faculty in 2003 after earning her Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. As an assistant professor in the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies, she has taught courses in Latino sociolinguistics, qualitative research methods and Chicana feminist theory. Kim-Rajal also routinely teaches general education courses addressing Latino contributions to the areas of cinema, music and philosophy.

A graduate of the California university system (B.A., U.C. Berkeley, 1994) and long-time resident of Northern California, Kim-Rajal is strongly committed to public undergraduate education in the state and to creating a campus environment that encourages intellectual diversity and independent thinking. Her courses emphasize the links between concepts covered in the classroom and real-world examples to make material more readily accessible to students.

Kim-Rajal’s research interests center on Latinos and the media. She has written about Spanish-language television and marketing, telenovelas and Latino audiences. She is currently working on a project addressing representations of Latinos in mainstream television.

Dr. Sunil Tiwari

Dr. Sunil Tiwari joined the Mathematics Department in 1996. He enjoys teaching courses of all levels, from developmental and general education courses to several senior level courses for mathematics majors. He has also offered graduate level independent study courses in engineering science and biology. He was an active member of the team that designed and developed the Masters of Science in Computer and Engineering Science program and serves as associated faculty in the Department of Engineering Science. His passion for teaching is deeply rooted in his love for empowering others with knowledge and guiding them to reach their full potential.

Tiwari believes that education is best served by interdisciplinary collaborative research combined with investigative teaching strategies. His research interests include numerical analysis, differential equations and applications of mathematics in different branches of science such as biology, geology and environmental science. Two of his recent papers use differential equations to study the shape of eroding hills and the rate of erosion of ancient stone monuments.

Prior to his arrival at SSU he earned bachelor's degrees in mathematics, economics, and psychology and a master's degree in mathematics at Allahabad University in India; a master's degree in applied mathematics at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico; and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.