Rate My Professor Sharmistha Basu-Dutt

Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, Ph.D., serves as Associate Dean and Professor of Chemistry in the Dr. James Earl Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences at the University of West Georgia. Holding a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Jadavpur University (1987), an M.S. (1991) and Ph.D. (1995) in Chemical Engineering from Wayne State University, she has built a career spanning over three decades at the University of West Georgia. Her positions include Instructor of Chemistry (1996-1997), Assistant Professor (1997-2003), Associate Professor (2003-2011), Professor (2011-present), Chair of the Chemistry Department (2015-2020), Director of Engineering Studies (2003-present), and Associate Dean (2020-present). Basu-Dutt has developed courses and curricula that challenge motivated students with engineering and science career goals and has participated in programs guiding first-year students to develop study habits, time management, and critical thinking skills.

Her research interests center on STEM education and pedagogy. She edited the book Making Chemistry Relevant: Strategies for Including All Students in a Learner-Sensitive Classroom Environment (John Wiley and Sons, 2010) and co-authored key publications such as Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes for Everyone (Journal of Chemical Education, 2012), Making Chemistry Relevant to the Engineering Major (Journal of Chemical Education, 2010), A Classical and Quantum Chemical Analysis of Gaseous Heat Capacity (The Chemical Educator, 2002), and Feasibility of a Photosynthetic Artificial Lung (ASAIO Journal, 1997). She served as Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Committee member on the NSF-STEP grant Generating Enthusiasm in Mathematics and Sciences (2004-2009). Basu-Dutt has received numerous awards for her teaching, including the University System of Georgia Regents Excellence in Teaching Award (2007), Faculty First Year Student Advocate Award (2007), Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Sciences at UWG (2005), Honors Faculty of the Year Award (2003), UWG Best of the West Faculty Member of the Year (2015), Donald Wagner Honors Faculty of the Year (2017), and UWG Employee Recognition Collaboration Award (2025).