The Pacific Alumni Association is honoring four faculty members for their deep commitment to mentoring students and alumni with the 2022 Faculty Mentor Awards.

The recipients are: Abel Fernandez (engineering), Bhaskara Jasti (pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry), Benjamin Reece (speech-language pathology) and Xiaojing Zhou (English).

Abel Fernandez, Professor and Director of the Engineering Management Program

From the moment Fernandez joined Pacific in 2000 to teach engineering, he knew there was something special about the university. “There was a sense of intimacy where you could truly get to know other faculty members and students,” he said. 

Developing close relationships is the reason he loves teaching and mentoring students, which he said has a “different tenor at Pacific.”

“At Pacific, it means having the liberty to spend time with students and get to know them as individuals,” Fernandez said, adding that it allows faculty and students to develop mutual trust.

His connections with students continue after they graduate. Emails often come out of the blue from former students wanting to keep in touch. “That’s really the meaning that you get out of being at Pacific,” he said. 

Bhaskara Jasti '95, Professor of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry

Mentoring has always held deep importance for Jasti. Growing up in India, his parents were illiterate but wanted him to pursue an education.

“My family has supported me throughout, but most of my guidance has come from teachers and mentors,” Jasti said.

He earned his doctoral degree in pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry from Pacific in 1995 and now works alongside some of his own mentors, who he calls his “strongest supporters.” 

He does the same for his own students since joining the faculty in 2001, working closely with them in the classroom and in his research developing novel drug products for cancer patients. He keeps in contact with some who graduated 20 years ago.

“It is very satisfying for me as they progress in their careers and become successful,” Jasti said. “If I do things right, the students want to stay connected to me. I hope I have accomplished that when they reach out to me thinking that I am their safety net,” he said.

Benjamin Reece '01, '08, Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology

After graduating from Pacific’s speech-language pathology program in 2008, Reece started his career working for Central Valley school districts. But when an opportunity opened to become Director of Clinical Education at Pacific, he couldn’t pass it up. 

“I was very nervous to be a new teacher. I very clearly recall standing at the top of the steps, and not wanting to walk down,” he said with a laugh. “But I was open minded because I had so much respect for my instructors in the program that it was an honor to be asked to teach.”

The student interactions are what he most values. “I enjoy seeing students progress from freshman year to graduating with their masters. That transformation is such a stark, incredible journey.”

As a mentor, he hopes to be an example of what students can achieve in their careers and guide them on their own pathways.

“I think being a mentor is that person who is the voice of encouragement and inspiration … It is not always apparent how to get to the end of that goal when you're in the midst of it, so I hope I can share that with students.”

Dr. Xiaojing Zhou, Professor of English

As someone who loves learning, Zhou has found her match at Pacific. “Students are so interactive in the classroom. I love that. There is an eagerness in learning for the sake of learning, rather than simply studying to pass exams,” Zhou said.

For Zhou, getting to know students as individuals is essential as a professor.

“University is a turning point for students. What they learn will determine to a large extent, not just whether they are going to succeed in a particular field, but also the kind of person they are going to become,” Zhou said, adding that the growth is mutual as a teacher.

“I am often inspired by my students, not just those who graduate and became  successful scholars, but also students in the undergraduate classes. I am inspired and amazed by the progress they make,” she said.

An awards brunch will be held Nov. 13 at the Alex and Jeri Vereschagin Alumni House.