 "Photo: Melissa Kerr/Echo staff photographer")
The third floor of the Mary Townes Science Building on the campus of N.C. Central University contains an office that epitomizes America's diversity.
Walls are draped with vibrant decorations from India as well as a full-page newspaper article on the presidency of Barack Obama.
Chemistry department chair Kizhanipuram Vinodgopal, known as Dr. Vinod, occupies this distinctive office.
Vinodgopal grew up in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, where his parents and community instilled in him the importance of education.
"A child's academic performance was the be-all and end-all of life," he chuckles.
According to Vinodgopal, a high school chemistry teacher inspired him to pursue a career in science.
Vinodgopal recalls the teacher investing a good deal of himself in mentoring his students. Now, as a teacher himself, he remembers this teacher recalling with awe the way his teacher inspired his students.
"He is certainly a big influence in why I wanted to do chemistry," he said.
Vinodgopal came to United States to do graduate studies at the University of Vermont, where he earned his doctorate in physical chemistry.
His dissertation examined triplet state of intramolecular dimers.. Dimers are molecules formed by the combination of two smaller identical molecules.
Vinodgopal said that his professors at Vermont pushed him to understand the way scientific concepts can be applied.
He said he considers himself privileged to have had a collection of great teachers and colleagues across the span of his career.
"The classroom has given me the drive to keep going," explains Vinodgopal, adding that he often leaves a class thinking about how much fun he's just had.
And his teaching style: Keep it simple.
He doesn't rely on Powerpoint or gadgets. A whiteboard and a marker, he says, are all he needs to convey scientific knowledge . He said that this teaching style probably comes from high school and college teachers who projected themselves well without relying on gadgets.
"Dr. Vinod is a professor whose enthusiasm for chemistry and education is evident in his teaching style," said chemistry graduate student Chasity Jones.
"His main focus is for the students to learn and truly understand the content of the material," she said.
Vinodgopal said science is an important part of America's future. "The pendulum could be swinging back to scientific careers," he said.
He said scientific progress is becoming more highly regarded, especially when considering recent financial instability.
Vinodgopal came to NCCU to serve as department chair in September 2010, after 20 years at Indiana University Northwest, studying alternate materials for fuel cells.
He continues that research by looking at materials which are better electrocatalysts for applications in fuel cells and batteries.
Vinodgopal said he plans to end his teaching and research career at NCCU. "I enjoy NCCU," he said. "It's a historic place and has a history ... it's good to be a part of it."
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