Name: Rosh Joshua Dhanawade (AS '09) Hometown: Bear, DE Major: Computer Science and Anthropology Minor(s): Business Favorite Book:The Giver by Lois Lowry
Activities/Clubs at UD: Freshman Fellow (03-04), Honors Orientation Assistant (04-08), ACM, Baptist Student Ministry, Undergraduate Research in Marketing with Dr. Meryl Gardner and Dr. Willett Kempton on the V2G Car.
Goals: Upon graduation, I will be attending the University of Indiana for my graduate studies. My graduate course of study will be in the field of Learning Sciences, and I will be working towards my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a Learning Sciences Track. My goal is to use my technical skills as well as my experience with the humanities to further the proper use of technology in learning environments. My belief is that when technology is combined with solid teaching, both teachers and students can realize and utilize their full potentials.
Why did you choose Delaware? The most important factor in my decision to attend Delaware was the quality of the faculty in my chosen field as well as the fact that I was admitted to the Honors Program. I recognized that the being in the Honors Program would allow me to pursue a closer relationship with my professors and thus enable me to enjoy a high quality of education as well as a working relationship my professors.
What has been your favorite Honors class so far? By far, my favorite Honors class was my Honors Colloquium, “Creativity and the Arts”. Professor Lloyd Shorter gave us opportunity to study and learn about a diverse array of artistic endeavors, and did do by utilizing many different teaching tools. The most unique tool was the ability to interview the artists we were studying through video-conference over the innovative Internet2 technology. The class gave me a different perspective on the arts, and as a result I have made an effort to go to and enjoy the many plays, art exhibits, and concerts offered on and around campus.
Who has been your favorite Honors professor and why? Dr. Jill Neitzel of the Anthropology department has truly enriched my college career and has shown me what a true Honors course is supposed to be. Dr. Neitzel has always found creative ways to teach and help students experience the field of Anthropology. I have gone to restaurants with her and have had hands-on experience with an archaeological object from the University collections. She has shown me that learning does not occur in a classroom through lectures and slides but through a professor who is willing to work with students and bring out the best in them.
What has been your most rewarding leadership or extra-curricular activity at UD? Being able to participate in research as an undergraduate has been a learning and life experience. I had the chance to do marketing research for an exciting new technology that could someday have a global impact. Dr. Meryl Gardner and Dr. Willett Kempton gave me the opportunity to take my classroom experience and put it to use in a real-world situation. Conducting research has prepared me for my upcoming graduate studies, for which I would have been ill-prepared had it not been for undergraduate research. It gave me the chance to evaluate my strength and weakness when it came to defining the problem, proposing solutions, implementing solutions, and learning from my failures and successes. In my opinion, no classroom experience can make you think in a way that research can, and my only regret is that I did not get involved with it sooner.
