Amit Savkar, an Indian American professor in residence at the University of Connecticut (UConn), has been appointed Special Advisor to the Provost on Continuing, Professional, and Workforce Education.
The appointment tasks Savkar with developing a strategy to expand UConn’s continuing education offerings, including microcredentials, digital badges and short-form, noncredit programs. He will assess existing courses, identify growth opportunities and work with employers, public agencies and academic partners to address workforce needs.
READ: Darshak Patel wins Kentucky university’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Award (July 30, 2026)
Savkar also directs UConn’s Quantitative Learning Center (Q Center). He previously served as interim associate vice provost and director of the university’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. His experience includes developing online courses as a UConn Teaching Fellow and leading educational programming for the QuantumCT Engine.
His academic background includes a doctorate in mechanical engineering from UConn, awarded in May 2007. Savkar’s teaching work has focused on improving mathematics instruction through technology and assessment.
His initiatives include C-Cubed, or Coffee, Cookies and Calculus, which encourages collaborative mathematics learning, and STEMIFY, an educational platform that UConn said had been used by more than 20 institutions nationwide over eight years.
The Q Center serves more than 10,000 students annually, according to the university.
READ: 4 Indian American educators honored for teaching excellence (May 22, 2026)
Savkar’s new appointment extends his work from classroom instruction and student support to a broader university strategy for continuing education and workforce development.
Savkar recently received UConn’s 2026 Distinguished Faculty – Teaching award under the Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship. The awards recognize work that brings community engagement together with research, creative work and teaching.
In a LinkedIn post, Savkar emphasized the role students play in shaping his approach to education outlining his commitment to creating learning environments in which students feel they belong.
Savkar said receiving the award strengthened that commitment, placing student support at the center of his reflection on the recognition.