MIT professor George Verghese honors his mentor by establishing a teaching award to recognize excellence in engineering education at Stony Brook University.
When George Verghese first arrived in the United States in 1974, he was a 21-year-old armed with a degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a vision for his future. However, his introduction to American academia was anything but smooth. A delayed immigration process forced him to begin his master’s program a month late, navigating a Stony Brook University campus on Long Island that was then a maze of construction and unfamiliar winter snow.
Now, five decades later, Verghese, a professor emeritus at MIT, is committed to ensuring that the inspiration he found during those early, uncertain days continues to resonate with future generations of students. Together with his wife, Ann, he has established the Professor Chi-Tsong Chen Excellence in Education Award within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at Stony Brook University.
This endowment is specifically designed to recognize faculty members who excel in classroom instruction and pedagogical innovation. For Verghese, this gift serves as a way to honor the mentorship of Professor Chi-Tsong Chen, a scholar whose “elegant” teaching style and foundational textbooks on linear system theory inspired Verghese to pursue a career in academia.
Verghese’s journey is emblematic of the impact of the Indian American diaspora on global technology. After completing his foundational studies in India, his time at Stony Brook provided the bridge to a PhD at Stanford University and a distinguished 40-year career at MIT. As the Henry Ellis Warren Professor of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, he emerged as a leader in power electronics and systems modeling, co-authoring influential textbooks that have shaped the field for decades.
The decision to establish the award was motivated by a visit back to the Long Island campus in late 2025. Witnessing the university’s growth and the vibrancy of the current student body, Verghese felt the timing was right to give back. His contribution was further amplified by matching programs from the Simons Foundation and New York State, which tripled the endowment’s value.
The legacy of this gift is also deeply personal for the university leadership. Andrew Singer, the current dean of CEAS, was once a student of Verghese at MIT. Singer remarked that the gift represents a “full-circle moment,” as he now oversees the college where his own mentor’s journey began.
The Professor Chi-Tsong Chen Excellence in Education Award will be granted annually to up to two faculty members who demonstrate not only excellence in instruction but also innovation in curriculum design. By naming the honor after the “self-effacing” Professor Chen, Verghese ensures that the often-unheralded work of dedicated teaching remains a priority in engineering education.
According to The American Bazaar, this initiative reflects Verghese’s commitment to fostering a culture of excellence in engineering education, ensuring that future generations of students are inspired by the same passion for learning that guided him throughout his career.