Darko Ljubic, Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemical Engineering, is ATL’s October 2024 Faculty Spotlight.
What course(s) do you teach, or have you taught, at URI?
I am teaching some of the core chemical engineering courses Thermodynamics I (CHE 213), Fluid Mechanics (CHE 347), and chemical engineering laboratories (CHE 445/446) as well as Foundations of Engineering I and II (EGR 105/106). In my first year at URI, I also taught an Engineering Materials course (CHE 333) to non-chemical engineering students. I am fortunate to teach courses that enable meeting 1st to 4th-year URI students. I see this as an opportunity to create a positive and inclusive classroom to support their learning and growth from day 1 until graduation.
What is your proudest teaching moment of the last year?
My proudest teaching moment of the last year is certainly the student comments I received under the IDEA course evaluations for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. Based on the comments I received, my teaching methods and effectiveness resonate well with the learning styles of my students.
What are the 3 qualities that you think make for a great teacher?
- Empathy
- Flexibility, and
- Being a BIG ear that listens to student needs.
What do you hope students look back on in ten years and say about your class(es)?
My teaching philosophy is to contribute to the learning and growth of my students in and outside the classroom. In the classroom, I teach concepts related to their program, and outside the classroom, I create together with my colleagues opportunities for their further learning and growth as a part of gaining a real-world skill set. For instance, two of my students (a sophomore and a senior) completed their internship program last academic year due to close collaboration with our industrial partner. Soon after I joined my department, I became a faculty advisor for URI’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) which I found to be an effective way to impact the overall experience of my students during their time at the URI. When my students look back and “gossip” about their profs, I hope they will talk about how much fun we had in the class and how supportive and understanding the professor I was. I hope it is not too much to ask. Haha.
How have you seen teaching evolve over your career? And/or where do you see teaching going?
Teaching as many other professions is a “living organism”. It has its dynamics and equilibrium, transitions and changes, growth and adaptation. Thirteen years ago, when I moved to the States for the first time, I came from a very different higher education system. Using that experience, reflection on my falls and rises, and contrasting it with the North American system I started developing my teaching philosophy. It was greatly impacted by the mentorship of my PhD supervisor, Prof. Shipping Zhu, and all the colleagues I have been fortunate to cross paths with at McMaster University (Canada) and recently URI. My teaching has been evolving around the following sentence “The classroom is a complex and ever-changing ecosystem that must be accessible, supportive, and inclusive for all the students; students do not come with the same learning habits and foundations, therefore, an educator must create an opportunity for everyone to learn, keep up, and succeed”. We don’t know what the future holds for educators, although, we see what comes our way (i.e., AI). To keep it simple, I keep my big ear listening, my eye observing and my mind open to the ever-changing world to embrace new challenges, adapt my teaching, and turn it into learning.
Share your favorite place to go in Rhode Island. Why is this your favorite place?
After a day of teaching and working in general or just to ease my mind I used to visit a few favorite spots of mine in Rhode Island. While I was living in North Providence, I often visited the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in downtown Providence. Its architecture and interiors are stunning, and when combined with its calming atmosphere during evening hours it is truly a sanctuary. Another place I randomly visited is the relatively new 195 District Park in downtown Providence. It offers a nice walk around the park and river and has beautiful views of the city skyline and surrounding historic buildings. Often, there are events in the park and artistic exhibitions. Lastly, when I want to connect with the nature and ocean, I visit Fort Getty Park (recommended by my student Math O’Donnell) and Beavertail State Park. Quietness and water views overload.
What are you streaming that you want others to know about?
My biggest passion is traveling and exploring different cultures and music from different parts of the world. Music is the world traveler and I am too. I often use common streaming platforms to play music and watch TV shows, movies, and documentaries. Some TV shows and movies I watch do not offer only entertainment but learning about other cultures and customs. Currently, I am watching South Korean TV shows (popularly called K-drama), especially their historical dramas from the Joseon dynasty era. I strongly recommend checking these TV shows. In general, I am a big fan of royalty-themed TV shows, movies, and documentaries from around the world. When it comes to music, as someone who used to sing and play an instrument, I have a broad range of music genres I listen to. I often listen to Greek, Hispanic, Arabic/Middle Eastern, and classical music. Nothing is more satisfying than listening on a gloomy day to Verdi’s powerful “Messa Da Requiem” performed by Mailander Scala, Price, Cossotto, Pavarotti, Ghiaurovand von Karajan in 1967, or on happy days Debajo De Tu Ventana by Los Mariachis Del Valle. Music as a way of expression always fascinated me.