Every Friday, Dr. Raghav Sampangi sits down to write a weekly email to students in his classes. These messages begin with course updates but always end with encouragement for students to take care of themselves.听
鈥淏eyond the university environment and the classes they take with me, students are whole human beings,鈥� he says, recognizing that academics are only a small part of their lives. 鈥淚f one assignment doesn鈥檛 go well, that鈥檚 ok. They can always pick it back up the next time around.鈥�
Dr. Sampangi, a University Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Computer Science, explains that having compassion for oneself is one of the most important skills students can develop, and something he hopes they take away from his classes alongside their technical skills.
鈥淲e never know what people are going through,鈥� he adds.
We never know what people are going through.
His emphasis on compassion stems from his own experiences, which taught him that mistakes can lead to valuable lessons.听
He recalls the first class he taught at Dal more than 10 years ago. Having recently completed his first PhD, he was eager to put his experiences as a learner into practice. In an effort to go beyond conventional teaching methods, he decided to have all 20-25 students work together on a class project.
鈥淚 was very ambitious,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut soon realized that the experience was great for some people, and not at all great for others.鈥�
He credits learning moments like these as shaping the practices students and faculty call 鈥渋nclusive鈥� and 鈥渟tudent-centered鈥� 鈥� and, ultimately, earning him the 2026 President鈥檚 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning.
A responsive approach
James Davidson, a mature student who took Intro to Web Design & Development with Dr. Sampangi, praises him for his adaptability to generational differences and learning styles.听
Davidson had felt concern about using new technologies after being away from school for many years. He provided feedback to Dr. Sampangi who translated it into his course material.听
鈥淲ith Dr. Sampangi, you never feel like just a student number. He values input and makes every effort to adapt,鈥� says Davidson. 鈥淚t gave me the confidence in myself that allowed me to not only do better in his class, but also in my other courses.鈥�
With Dr. Sampangi, you never feel like just a student number.
Dr. Sampangi offers a variety of ways for students to engage with material and perform better in all his classes.
The 鈥淟ife Happens鈥� clause, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, gives students a grace period for when life gets in the way. 黄色直播 has since created the Student Declaration of Absence form, which Dr. Sampangi also uses.听
He also coined a practice called Creative Curiosity, inspired by students in his classes, whose profound curiosity has repeatedly impressed him.
His own curiosity was shaped by many people, such as his former thesis supervisor, Dr. Srini Sampalli, and other colleagues, though he considers everyone he meets to be a mentor. 鈥淚t enables me to learn from everyone,鈥� he says.
Creative Curiosity is built into the assignments, giving students the opportunity to explore what they鈥檝e built in web development and coding classes, for example, and reflect on what they鈥檝e learned for a bonus mark.听
Dr. Sampangi has also had great success with course representatives, who share information from their peers on what鈥檚 working and what isn鈥檛.听
鈥淚 am not standing in front of the class for myself. I鈥檓 there to support student learning, and to do that job, I do the best I can to seek regular feedback from the cohort.鈥�
Continued commitment听
Dr. Sampangi demonstrates a commitment to learning in multiple ways.听
As he works toward completing his second PhD exploring the human experience of AI in teaching and learning, Dr. Sampangi hopes to use what he learns to better support future students. The topic was inspired by the effect he saw AI having in the classroom, on both his students and himself.听
鈥淵ou can always learn from everyone, everything,鈥� he says about the impact his students have had on him.听
鈥淭hey are wonderfully creative human beings,鈥� he adds with a smile. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e taught me so much and continue to inspire me every day.鈥�