Distinctive and Distinguishing Teachers

Dr. Reza SaadeinDr. Reza Saadein
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Natural Science and Mathematics

Since 1987, Dr. Saadein has been teaching a variety of chemistry courses on both the Oxford and Atlanta campuses of Emory University, and recently he has been involved in the synthesis of angiogenesis prohibitors in collaboration with the research teams of the Atlanta campus. Dr. Saadein was recognized at Oxford with the Phi Theta Kappa "Professor of the Year Award" in 2000 and he received the prestigious Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award in 2004.

Eighteen years ago, I chose to join Oxford College over several offers from different respected universities. I was primarily interested in Oxford because of its dual nature, placing teaching at the center yet enabling faculty to pursue their scholarly interests as a faculty member of a major research university.

As I started my career here, I found myself among a group of scholar teachers whose main goal was to provide the best education for their students, as opposed to constantly worrying about grant proposals and professional survival. I was also quite surprised by the generosity and cooperation of colleagues on the Atlanta campus in making their research equipment available and welcoming collaborative scholarly activities with us here.

My only hesitation was that, being from a different cultural background, I might become subject to discrimination and prejudice, whether directly or indirectly. But, on the contrary, I was embraced and integrated among the faculty and the entire community to the point that I felt absolutely comfortable sharing my cultural and religious views in several lectures and discussion groups.

In a conversation I had a few days ago, one of my students said, "People don't look forward to going to work; they usually get stressed, frustrated and tired." In response to her, I told her that I was glad that in the last eighteen years I never felt as if I "went to work." Indeed, it's been such a pleasure to be a member of this educational community, and I've enjoyed every day of my career here.