Aswathy Rai recognized nationally as outstanding educator

A national agricultural education organization has recognized Aswathy Rai, an Indian American professor at Mississippi State University with excellence in teaching award.

The North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture honored Aswathy Rai, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, with the NACTA Educator Award.

Rai said she was grateful for the acknowledgment, which reinforces her commitment to excellence in education.

“This award is a testament to the collaborative efforts of my colleagues and the continuous support from the college administration and the Center for Teaching and Learning at MSU, which enables me to innovate and enhance the learning experience for my students,” she said. “It also reflects my students’ hard work and enthusiasm, which motivates me to be a better educator every day.”

Darrell Sparks, CALS associate dean, acknowledged Rai and another faculty member as exceptional candidates for their respective awards.

“With NACTA being a premier organization for educators in agricultural-focused disciplines, MSU having multiple award recipients from this society highlights the excellence in instruction that our faculty provide to students,” Sparks said. “From course creation including two study abroad programs to maintaining the department’s accreditation with the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Rai is a proven leader.

Rai holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, an MPPA from Mississippi State University, an M.S. from Madurai Kamaraj University in India, and a B.S. from Bharathiar University in India.

She is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Association of Biochemistry Educators.

Rai is co-author of several publications including:

Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue; Polyamine transporter in Streptococcus pneumoniae is essential for evading early innate immune responses in pneumococcal pneumonia; Listeria and-OMICS approaches for understanding its biology; and Application of functional genomics for bovine respiratory disease diagnostics.