Praveen Chhikara, a Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum & Instruction, was recognized by the Asian American Cultural Center with the Outstanding Asian & Asian American Graduate Student Leader Award. He accepted the award at the AACC annual ceremony on Monday, April 20, 2026, at Alice Campbell Alumni Center.
The award recognizes graduate and professional students for excellence in developing and implementing programs for the Asian American campus community, excellence and innovation in classroom instruction that furthers knowledge of Asian American communities, and/or excellence in research that promotes awareness of Asian American issues. Award consideration favors nominees who have exemplified leadership over several semesters on our campus and will soon be graduating.
Chhikara's research focuses on how university mathematics professors perceive their instructional role in teaching abstract concepts. His research interests stem from his experience teaching mathematics to undergraduate and graduate students for around six years before joining the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
