2018 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching Finalist Neil K. Garg will Present Public Lecture at Baylor

October 13, 2017
Garg Neil

Neil K. Garg, Ph.D., is one of three finalists for the 2018 Robert Foster Cherry Award

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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Waco, Texas (Oct. 13, 2017) – Neil K. Garg, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and finalist for Baylor University's Robert Foster Cherry Award, will present his public lecture, "How Organic Chemistry Became One of UCLA's Most Popular Classes," at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the Baylor Sciences Building Room B.110, 101 Bagby Ave.

Garg’s lecture will discuss the underlying teaching philosophies that have transformed his organic chemistry class from a typical “weed-out” course to one of the most popular classes on UCLA’s campus. Garg will examine chemistry’s reputation and discuss how his use of music videos and online tutorials has transformed the course’s popularity.
The Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching was first granted in 1991 and has since been awarded biennially. It was created by Robert Foster Cherry, B.A. ‘29 and Baylor Law School alumnus ’32, to show his appreciation for excellent teachers.

According to the foundation’s statement, the award “honors outstanding professors in the English-speaking world who are distinguished for their ability to communicate as classroom teachers. Individuals nominated for the award should have a proven record as an extraordinary teacher with a positive, inspiring and long-lasting effect on students, along with a record of distinguished scholarship.”

The recipient of the Cherry Award will receive a $250,000 prize and will teach in-residence at Baylor University during the 2018 fall or 2019 spring semester. Travel expenses and a furnished apartment will be provided. To further Baylor University's commitment to great teaching, the award recipient's home department will receive $25,000.

All three finalists receive $15,000, will present a Cherry Award Lecture on their home campuses, as well as Baylor’s, and will receive $10,000 for his or her home department.

Garg graduated magna cum laude from New York University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2005 with a doctorate in organic chemistry. At Caltech, Garg was a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow.

Garg specializes in synthetic organic chemistry research and has earned many awards for his teaching and research. He also has published more than 75 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and obtained two patents since he began teaching at UCLA in 2007. Worldwide, Garg has been invited to give more than 170 lectures. His chemistry class was featured in the “LA Weekly” magazine as one of the best classes in the city of Los Angeles.

His lecture is free and open to the public. For more information visit the Cherry Award website.
by Brooke Battersby, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT THE ROBERT FOSTER CHERRY AWARD
The Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching was created by Robert Foster Cherry, who earned his A.B. from Baylor University in 1929. He enrolled in the Baylor Law School in 1932 and passed the Texas State Bar Examination the following year. With a deep appreciation for how his life had been changed by significant teachers, he made an exceptional estate bequest to establish the Cherry Award program to recognize excellent teachers and bring them in contact with Baylor University students. The first Robert Foster Cherry Award was made in 1991 and has since been awarded biennially.
THE CHERRY AWARD COMMITTEE
The Cherry Award Committee at Baylor University is composed of leading academics from across the campus. Their intention is to continue to build the prominence of the Cherry Award as the most significant honor for an individual who has a proven record for extraordinary teaching. Mr. Cherry described such a teacher as a lover of the acquisition of learning who can inspire his students, arouse their imagination, and stimulate their curiosity to desire to learn everything that man can know, and achieve everything that man can reach and grasp.