PrepNow Tutor - Haridas C.
Having taught physical science for over twenty years, Haridas is well-versed in the most effective teaching methods. A former adjunct professor at Pikeville College and physics and astronomy lecturer at Howard University, he helped students of various backgrounds, ages, and abilities become strong, active learners.
Haridas has experience teaching all things STEM, including high school physics, engineering capstone and engineering and design, aerospace science engineering, chemistry (I and II), various sciences (physical, earth, and space), biology, and STEAM (1 and 2). He has also taught summer enrichment programs for rising high school freshmen and worked with future nurses in courses like “Physics for Allied Health.” Over the years, he has won a handful of awards for his excellence in teaching from various schools, districts, and organizations like the Kentucky Board of Education.
He holds a host of degrees, including a PhD and an MSc in physics, both from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns (Newfoundland, Canada); additionally, he earned a BSc and MSc in physics from Madurai Kamaraj University (Madurai, India). Outside the classroom, he has coached soccer and led a high school robotics team.
He began tutoring as a middle schooler when his seventh-grade teacher noted his sharp understanding and ability to explain complexities in ways his peers could better understand. “I love teaching and tutoring because I am able to inspire students to do their best and see them grow and flourish over time—it is rewarding to see students understand something that was previously difficult for them,” he shares.
Haridas takes a flexible, dynamic approach and wants his students to engage with concepts beyond textbooks and lectures. He “engages their natural curiosity” through differential and often experimental learning techniques, expanding that curiosity to the next level so that they build deeper connections with the material. “My goal is to create a warm, loving environment, so students feel safe to take risks and express themselves—this will also foster creativity,” he asserts. Always seeking to improve, he encourages his students to give feedback on his methods so that he can better serve their needs. Ultimately, he wants his students to take charge of their own learning journey to become empowered, successful critical thinkers.
On top of authoring over twenty published papers in national and international journals, his research entitled “Spectroscopic Investigations of Chemical Intermediates of Environmental Significance” was funded and published by the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA’s Lewis grant. In 1995, he was also a visiting scientist at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. He’s proud to have co-authored a chapter in a book entitled Fundamentals and Current Topics in Molecular Structure Research.
In 2009, he was invited to the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow Program and was a national finalist recognized by the esteemed nonprofit, Triangle Coalition For Science And Technology Education.
In 2010, he was selected out of 21 teachers nationwide to participate in the “NanoTeach Pilot Program for Teachers” at McRel, Denver, Colorado; and, that same year, he was selected out of 100 teachers nationwide to be part of the “Eyes in the Sky II Program” along with a workshop at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas!
When he’s not steeped in all things STEM, he enjoys gardening and watching sports.
