Faculty, graduate students recognized for teaching excellence

Prashant Jain, professor of chemistry

Prashant Jain, G. L. Clark Professor of Physical Chemistry and Professor of Chemistry, teaches graduate & undergraduate physical chemistry for which he has received recognition this year as the 2025-26 recipient of the School of Chemical Sciences Faculty Teaching Award. Jain is a previous winner of the SCS award, and he has received college and university recognition for his classroom teaching as well, including the College of LAS Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

In his research, Jain and his group experimentally and theoretically investigate nanoscale light-matter interactions. They confine light using nanostructures and use these concentrated photons for inducing novel chemical reactivity, powering the synthesis of fuels and chemicals, and dechipering how catalysts function at the atomic level. His laboratory has discovered plasmon resonances in quantum dots and new crystal phases that exist only on the nanoscale.

Elise McCarren, teaching assistant professor

Teaching Assistant Professor of Chemistry Elise McCarren has been recognized by the School of Chemical Sciences with the 2025-26 Faculty Instructor Teaching Award. McCarren teaches CHEM 101 and is also the Director of the Chemistry Merit Program. McCarren has been a member of the instructional faculty in Chemistry at Illinois since 2017 and is a three-time alum of the University of Illinois, graduating with a B.S.  in 2011, an M.S. in 2013, and a Ph.D.  in 2024.

Omkar Chaudhari

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of So Hirata, Chaudhari taught CHEM 440: Physical Chemistry Principles in the Fall 2025 semester.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

Seeing the satisfaction on my students' faces in office hours when they really understood a concept. Being there to explain to them the nitty-gritty details about the cool physical chemistry topics that I myself loved was very fulfilling. I also liked making rubrics for exams and homework, as I really got to learn what it was like on the other side as the grader. A couple students had approached me expressing some difficulty with calculus-based questions, as it had been a long time for them since they took calculus. I made a review sheet for them, and many students told me that it really helped them refresh some of the concepts for calculus, which was really good because I realized that some small steps like these, which were not necessarily part of the syllabus, go a long way to help students.

Andrew Crow

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of Jonathan Sweedler, Crow taught CHEM 315: Instrumental Chem Systems Lab.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

Learning to troubleshoot complex instruments and helping students think about the instruments they are using. My hope is that the skills and experience they have gained from taking CHEM 315 will help them in their future careers. 

Jonathan Haidet

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of Gregory Girolami, Haidet taught Chem 317: Inorganic Chemistry Lab and Chem 483: Solid State Structural Analysis.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

Watching my students become more independent over time. Seeing students who began the year uncertain about themselves and requiring constant help develop self-sufficiency over time was very rewarding.

Tyler Bechard — Arthur W. Sloan Prize

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of Mei Shen, Bechard taught CHEM 222: Quantitative Chemical Analysis in the Fall 2025 semester and CHEM 524: Electrochemical Methods in Spring 2026.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

I enjoyed most of the process of teaching besides grading, though my favorite part will always be getting to watch the moment that new information crystallizes in the mind of a student. The knowledge that I was, in some small part, responsible for growing the comprehension of another is deeply fulfilling to me.

Rowan Glover — Professor Peter Beak Endowed Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of Paul Hergenrother, Glover taught CHEM 232: Elementary Organic Chemistry I.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

My favorite part of teaching was seeing students become more confident in their abilities as the semester progressed. It was always great to see a student or group start out hesitant about a problem, only to be the ones teaching others by the end of class.

Chetan Prasad—Zumdahl Teaching award

A chemistry Ph.D. student in the research group of Ying Diao, Prasad taught CHEM 102: General Chemistry in the Spring 2026 semester.

What did you enjoy about teaching?

My favorite part of teaching is seeing a student finally understand something that they thought was difficult. They get really excited about it. It's especially meaningful when it's a topic that I personally found difficult during my undergrad studies. It feels good to make those concepts a bit easier for them. I end up learning just as much from my students as they learn from me. At the end of the day, learning from different perspectives is what makes teaching very enjoyable for me. 

Amy Tram - Dr. Sandra Murawski Award for Teaching Excellence

A Ph.D. student in the research group of Majed Fataftah, Tram taught CHEM 317: Inorganic Chemistry Lab in the Fall 2025 semester and CHEM 104: General Chemistry II in the Spring 2026 semester.

What did you enjoy about teaching? 

I enjoy working with and learning from my students! Helping students understand a difficult concept and see them able to work through problems confidently is always rewarding. All of them are very bright, and I often end up learning new ways to think about and teach a concept that works for different students.