Subhash Sarin receives Graduate School’s Outstanding Mentor Award for the College of Engineering
Subhash Sarin, the Paul T. Norton Endowed Professor in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has received the Graduate School’s 2020 Faculty Outstanding Mentor Award for the College of Engineering.
Sponsored by the Graduate School, the annual award recognizes excellence in mentoring graduate students. Students nominate recipients, and one professor from each college receives an award.
Sarin’s research focuses on production scheduling, sequencing, applied mathematical programming, and analyzing and designing algorithms for the operational control of manufacturing and logistics systems. He has received more than $15 million in sponsored research projects, which include several collaborative projects with colleagues. Sarin has published more than 100 refereed journal articles and over 40 peer-reviewed full-length proceeding papers.
Sarin has advised a total of 79 students, including 29 doctoral and 53 master’s students. Those who nominated him for the award say that it is his patience, kind nature, and drive for excellence that make him such an exemplary mentor.
“He is the epitome of patience, and his approach and reasoning while tackling complex problems always amazed me,” said alumnus Balaji Nagarajan. “He created an open and friendly environment for me to freely share and discuss new ideas. He nurtured patience and perseverance in me, two qualities that, I believe, are absolutely essential for any research effort. He was also a constant source of encouragement and kept me motivated toward achieving my objectives.”
Current Ph.D. student Ozan Sert said that Sarin never fails to inspire him, through “his conviction to uphold scientific ideals, his tireless attention to detail, his passion to explore, and his endeavor for the better.” Sert said he hopes that Sarin will continue sharing the immense knowledge and wisdom that he has accumulated through decades of dedication to science and education for his students.
“I am very honored and humbled by this recognition,” said Sarin. “Students are the reason we are here, and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with them and help them in every aspect of their academic life, and then watch them excel in their professional careers. It is the most joyful experience.”
In 2019, Sarin won the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Samman Award from the NRI Welfare Society of India, which is given to nonresident natives of India for outstanding services, achievements, and contributions for keeping the “Flag of India high.”
Sarin earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Delhi, India; his master’s degree from Kansas State University; and his doctorate from North Carolina State University.
- Written by Linda Hazelwood
