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Introducing Nau Raj Pokhrel

Nau Raj Pokhrel

Some things are familiar—hills and mountains, for instance. Others, like snowfall and fall colors—not so much. Yet Nau Raj Pokhrel has found himself at home in Tennessee, and he brings nearly two decades’ worth of teaching experience to the undergraduate students enrolled in UT’s physics courses.

Pokhrel joined the department as an instructor on August 1. Originally from Nepal, his journey has included not only a great deal of the globe but also a remarkable tour of technology.

"I’m from a very small town in the hilly region," he explained. "I grew up in an area where there were no roads, no electricity, nothing—until high school I hadn’t seen electricity. No mosquitos, also!" he added, laughing.

Yet with an obvious sense of optimism, he was quick to describe how the remoteness of his childhood home gave him a tremendous gift in terms of his future.

"The sky was very clear," he said. "Without the light pollution, I was fascinated by the night sky. I enjoyed much more time watching the night sky to recognize the planets, constellations and zodiac signs. The curiosity of 'why the things the way they are' inclined me towards astronomy and physics."

While many of his undergraduate classmates were interested in medicine, Pokhrel never chose that route. He decided on physics as a major and astronomy as a specialization during his master’s degree studies at Tribhuvan University. Along with astronomy, he also discovered another keen interest.

"In the meantime, I started teaching also, and liked teaching as well as doing research," he said. "I started teaching after my undergrad. I have taught all grade levels from elementary to undergraduate level."

When he decided to pursue a doctoral degree, he left Nepal and chose Florida International University in Miami, in part because he had friends already enrolled in the program, and in part because he didn’t want a too-dramatic shift in climate. While there, he dedicated himself to research specializing in Radio Astronomy and taught several traditional and reformed physics and astronomy labs. When he graduated in 2016, he taught physics and astronomy courses for two semesters at FIU before making another move—this time to Texas.

"I was all the way South—just half a mile from the border," Pokhrel said. He added that going from a huge metropolitan area to South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, brought with it some interesting perspectives. While Miami blends many cultures and nationalities, his time in Texas gave him smaller classes with one-on-one interaction and a majority of Hispanic students.

"I spent two years there, teaching physics, physical sciences, and astronomy," he said.

Pokhrel enjoys meeting new people and exploring new places (travel is among his hobbies). He has taught large classes and small ones; lived in remote rural areas and large multi-cultural cities. Snow, however, was something he had never experienced before coming to Tennessee when a winter weather system came through in early November.

"I’m really liking the landscape," he said of East Tennessee, especially the hills and mountains. His family (he and his wife have a two-year-old son) have settled into life in Knoxville, and while some things are of course different from their previous stops, some things are the same. For Pokhrel, from a primary school in Nepal to pre-meds enrolled in Physics 221, the constant has always been his love of teaching.

"Every year we are interacting with another new generation with a new idea, different perspectives and different aims of life—this fresh knowledge—and that’s an amazing opportunity for us to interact and share knowledge," he said. "It’s my pleasure to be in the class, to be actively involved in teaching-learning activities."

He also likes seeing students and their promise through the lens of UT’s history. He learned at employee orientation that UT is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year.

"I was surprised at how old this institution is, and I counted back and saw how many generations passed in this building," he said. "I am proud to be a member of this university."



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