At the ripe old age of 85, Indian American engineer Ramesh Sharma received his newly minted PhD degree from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) at Globe Life Park on Friday as part of the College of Science graduation ceremony.
As his wife of 51 years and family saw his big moment with pride, it was the fulfilment of a promise Sharma made when he immigrated to the United States from India in 1976—to make his homeland and his newly adopted country proud.
“Growing up, we were told by our teachers and parents to do something constructive that could be useful for humanity or as an example for generations to come,” said Dr Sharma, who lives in Fort Worth, according to a university release.
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“I really took that message to heart, so when I retired from my career as a mechanical engineer, I went back to school, first completing a master’s degree in 2014 and now a PhD. I took one class at a time, but I did it. I’m so happy to be able to keep the promise I made when I started school.”
Born in Narowal, Pakistan, and raised in Ludhiana, India, in the northern region of Punjab, Sharma received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras in 1967. After working for several years in the civilian Indian naval forces, he immigrated to the United States in 1976, working in Texas, Michigan and Connecticut before settling down in Fort Worth in 1986.
“I worked in various nuclear power plants as a stress engineer,” Sharma said. “I did well for myself, and my greatest desire was for my son and daughter to get the best educations they could, which they did. Once they were well-settled and I retired, my next goal was to enhance my own education.”
In 2007, Sharma went back to school at The University of Texas at Arlington, starting a master’s degree program in mechanical engineering.
“Once I completed my master’s, I had a choice to do a PhD in mechanical engineering, but I chose to enhance my knowledge in math, in part because I was so impressed by Hristo Kojouharov and Benito Chen,” he said. “These two professors, along with Michaela Vancliff and Dimitar Grantcharov, helped me continue my studies and never let me get discouraged. Also, my advisor, Tuncay Atkosun, with his background in fluid mechanics involving math, was a very helpful teacher on this journey.”
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“Ramesh has been an inspiration to all of us at UT Arlington with his desire and commitment to continue his education in his retirement when he could have been doing so many other activities that are far more relaxing than graduate school,” said Dr. Aktosun, Sharma’s program advisor and a professor of mathematics at UTA. “His unique work and life experiences brought insight to the research endeavors for all of us that had the chance to work with him.”
“I echo Dr. Aktosun,” said Jianzhong Su, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics at UTA. At the graduation event, Dr. Su will perform Sharma’s hooding—the moment when the person receiving the advanced degree has the regalia placed over their head by a significant faculty member, symbolizing their transition from a student to a scholar. “We are so proud of Ramesh for his hard work and dedication. We are happy to celebrate his success in attaining his doctoral degree in mathematics.”
Sharma says he is grateful to his wife of 51 years and his family for being so supportive as he pursued his educational dreams.
“I am very thankful to UT Arlington for helping me fulfill a commitment that I made in my young life,” Sharma said. “Now if just one person can benefit from my research or my commitment to education, my goal has been completed.”
Never one to sit idle, now that his degrees are complete, Sharma plans to continue his educational journey by mentoring other students. “I have one student now that I’m helping with his studies,” he said. “It’s great to be able to give back.”