For the past 30 years, Dr. R. Devadoss Pandian has been a part of the North Central College family. Now, however, Pandian is returning to his home country of India to finish the “fourth quarter” of his career before retirement.
“I am playing my third quarter (now),” Pandian says. “That means I have one more quarter left to play.”
In his first 10 years at North Central, Pandian was a professor of mathematics, and for the last 20, he has served as the dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs.
During his time at North Central, Pandian has become the longest serving dean at the college.
As dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs, Pandian is in charge of the academic aspects of the college and ensures that the faculty are able to teach their students to the best of their abilities.
“I pay attention to hiring the best faculty,” Pandian says. “There is nothing more important for me.”
In addition, Pandian says that his duties also include “building the kind of curriculum that our students should have,” as well as ensuring that the college has “all the necessary tools, skills and support for the professors to grow professionally.”
“Give me the best faculty and the school will be better,” Pandian says, explaining that being able to build the faculty at this college has been his biggest achievement during his time here.
“I enjoy everything I do,” Pandian says with a smile. “Some of them might be fun, some of them might be challenging, but it doesn’t matter to me. I enjoy doing everything that comes to my desk.”
Despite all of his time and work at North Central, Pandian is gearing up for the fourth and final “quarter” of his career before retirement.
“I am leaving North Central,” he continues. “But retirement is after you have some active life. So I am going to play my fourth quarter back in India involving in some kind of public life.”
Pandian is not exactly sure what this public life will entail yet, but explains that it could involve social issues, or issues in his part of India.
“I’m talking about really integrating myself with the public,” Pandian says.
After 50 years in higher education, Pandian does know that he wants to pursue something else, as he also taught mathematics at The American College in India (his alma mater) for 20 years before coming to North Central.
“I am not tired of this, but I am done with higher education,” Pandian explains.
In regards to leaving North Central, Pandian says that he is more focused on finishing his time here “with a lot of energy,” and he has not really thought about what it will be like to leave this college.
“Maybe it does not cross my mind,” Pandian says. “Maybe after the fourth quarter is over, maybe when I think back, I may say, ‘what did I miss?’ So at this particular point, my mind is all set on completing the third quarter, taking a little break, and getting ready for the fourth quarter.”
In reflecting on his time at North Central, Pandian says that, “I may not be remembered at all, in some sense. In fact, I don’t want to be remembered. For me, who I am and what I did is kind of secondary.” He concludes with saying that, “Every day, every minute, it’s fun.”
Photo by Haylie Berkland
