In 2020, Indranil SenGupta was awarded the Odney Excellence in Teaching Award, which honors outstanding instruction at NDSU.
Indranil SenGupta considers himself a mathematics tour guide. His goal is to take students to historic spots and little-known places of equal knowledge value to give a big picture view of mathematics.
SenGupta teaches a course in Complex Analysis, where he touches on complex numbers, differentiation and integration of complex functions, analytic and harmonic functions and other math theories. In 2020, he was awarded the Odney Excellence in Teaching Award, which honors outstanding instruction at NDSU.
“Teaching mathematics is like guiding the students on a tour through parts of a picturesque country, where they will observe some of the famous scenery as well as a few less notable but still attractive sights,” said SenGupta, who also is the graduate recruitment chair for the mathematics department. “I strive to help the students acquire facility with the native language of the country – mathematics.”
SenGupta says the transfer of knowledge to as many people as possible makes teaching rewarding and important. He enjoys engaging and interacting with students each day, learning from them as they learn principles of advanced mathematics.
“I always try to communicate that mathematics is fun, and it is not a subject to fear,” he said. “Some fear of mathematics stems from the prior prerequisite deficiencies. I sincerely try to detect and fill gaps in students' prior mathematics knowledge.”
Some of the most rewarding moments for SenGupta are when students and alumni approach him about the impact he has had on their life and career.
“From the first day of class, I try to foster a comfortable atmosphere where students can feel free to express their doubts and questions,” he said. “I think the best teachers are those who are friendly, open and enthusiastic with their students in the framework of a professional relationship. Nothing is more joyful to me than seeing the success of my students.”
SenGupta joined the NDSU faculty in 2012. He earned his bachelor’s degree at IIEST, Shibpur, India; master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg; and doctorate in mathematics at Texas A&M University, College Station.