Chuang Wang, professor of educational research and director of the Doctorate in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation, is the 2018 recipient of the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award. He was honored at a special ceremony Thursday, March 29, at the Harris Alumni Center at Johnson Glen.
“Dr. Wang is one of the best mentors of graduate students that I have seen in my 22 years as a University professor,” said Dawson Hancock, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the UNC Charlotte Cato College of Education. “He has a well established reputation among faculty and graduate students alike for caring, understanding and supporting all students, not just those assigned to him to mentor.”
Wang was instrumental in the evaluation of the Assessment Practices to Support Mathematics Learning and Understanding for Students (APLUS). The APLUS helps K-2 teachers guide their instructional practices in mathematics with formative assessments. He also worked on the evaluation of the Collaborative Research: Integrated Learning Environment for Cybersecurity of Smart Grid. This interdisciplinary project is to design a smart grid simulation environment dedicated to security education programs that cover both cyber and physical systems.
A recipient of three National Science Foundation grants, Wang served as an independent evaluator for four other federally funded research grants from the U.S. Department of Education. As a research methodologist, he supports students in research design and data analyses.
“Dr. Wang’s support for graduate students is exemplary,” said Bob Algozzine, professor of educational leadership in the Cato College of Education. “He involves graduate students in the conduct and dissemination of his ongoing research projects, but also has a sincere and active interest in their well-being as emerging scholars and practicing professionals.”
As a mentor, Wang has served as chair on six doctoral dissertation committees and as a member on a number of master’s level thesis committees.
Kindness, trust, wisdom, caring, growth, vision and scholarship are just a few of the words used to describe Wang. One of his former students said it best, “Dr. Wang’s ambition and work ethic has become a model for my career in academia.”
After completing a bachelor’s degree in English for science and technology from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Wang went on to earn a master’s degree in applied linguistics from Northwest Polytechnical University and a master’s degree in applied statistics and a doctorate in educational research from The Ohio State University.
The Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award honors its namesake, an exceptional teacher, brilliant scholar and researcher and devoted servant of her profession and community. The award is given annually to the faculty member whose commitment to students, research and scholarly inquiry most closely exemplifies the spirit of de Silva.