Pedagogy and Practice
by A.J. Kleber
The dual mission of a world-class research university is both to educate, and to develop and apply new forms of knowledge for the good of society; pursuits which are intrinsically linked. As a member of the Boston University faculty, this means “integrating cutting-edge research with a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring,” according to Professor Lei Tian. Professor Tian’s dedication to this very standard is being recognized with a 2025 Boston University Provost’s Scholar-Teacher of the Year Award.
This award, which honors scholars who excel both at the practice of teaching and at pedagogy, the art and science behind the practice, carries a $5K honorarium. Awardees are invited to serve as feature faculty presenters at a Trustee Scholars dinner.
Professor Tian, who teaches courses on signals & systems and computational optical imaging, professes a desire “to inspire students to become skilled engineers, lifelong learners and innovators who contribute meaningfully to society.” In mentoring his research assistants, he takes a collaborative and educational approach, “promot[ing] open discussions, pos[ing] questions from fundamental perspectives, and inspir[ing] ideas rooted in basing principles,” rather than providing rote instructions, thus allowing students to extrapolate and build their understanding beyond mere “mechanical steps.”
Associate Professor Lei Tian joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University in 2016, and is noted for significant advances in computational microscopy and imaging, among other research accomplishments. His accolades and accomplishments include a 2019 NSF CAREER Award, Boston University College of Engineering Early Career Excellence in Research (2021) and Dean’s Catalyst (2018) Awards, and a number of Best Paper Awards. He is an Optica Fellow.