Students Honor Professor posted 9/17/08
Dr. Mualla received Academic Service’s ExcelLENT professor of the year award

ADRIAN, Mich. - Adrian College is honored to present Dr. Maher Mualla with the Academic Service’s ExcelLENT Professor of the Year award. The award was given to Mualla at the Academic Services Open House which was held on Sept. 3.

The ExcelLENT Professor of the Year award is student-generated and was established in 1995. Last spring the 160 students who participate in the Excel program were asked to vote based on four elements of criteria. Those elements include respect for individual student’s needs; challenge in course work; comprehensive yet fair evaluation; and openness in discussions.

The award is sponsored by the EXCEL program at the College. It is a five-year grant program funded 75% by the United States Department of Education ($1.355 million) and 25% by Adrian College. EXCEL supports 160 students yearly with scholarships and services aimed at persistence, retention, and graduation. First-generation college students, low-income and/or students with disabilities may qualify for the EXCEL program.

Adrian College students Kelly Lester, a senior, and Heather Piehl, a junior, as well as director of academic services Jane McCloskey and vice president and dean of academic affairs Dr. Dale Nesbary presented Mualla with the award. His name will also be added to a plaque hanging in Academic Services.

Mualla is a specialist in organic and environmental chemistry and received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Cincinnati in 1998. He has a Master of Science degree in organic chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry from Damascus University in Damascus, Syria.

Mualla’s dedication to his students is not something new as he was recognized in 2004 by receiving the Adrian College Exemplary Teacher Award. He has received many other teaching awards throughout his career and is currently working on a textbook about environmental chemistry.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society, Michigan Chemistry Teachers Association, and has been co-president of the Southeast Michigan Chapter of the Fulbright Association since 2006. His research interests include organic synthesis, environmental pollution issues in developing countries, and computer applications in chemistry education.

Mualla and his wife, Wafa, live in Adrian. They have two children whom are both in college. One attends Purdue University and the other is at the University of Michigan.