Nirmal Ghimire Receives Inaugural Tyndall Award

Nirmal Ghimire, assistant professor of Teaching English as a Second Language at UNCW’s Watson College of Education, has received the inaugural Robert E. Tyndall Professional Promise Award.

Established through the generosity of former Watson College Dean Robert E. Tyndall, the award will be presented annually to recognize an early-career faculty member who demonstrates strong promise in research, teaching and professional impact.

“Nirmal is very deserving of this inaugural award,” said Watson College Dean Tracy Linderholm. “He has a strong record of research productivity that is timely and thematic. This award will help him continue building his expertise, benefiting the students he works with, and expand his network of research collaborators."

Ghimire joined the UNCW faculty in 2024. He earned a Ph.D. in education with a focus on TESOL from the University of Central Florida, where he also served as a research associate on large-scale projects including the Micro-credentialing of English Learners Teaching Skills (MELTS) and Dual Language Support through Technology-Enhanced Programs and Strategies (DL-STEPS).

Before joining UNCW, he was associate director of the K-16 Literacy Center at the University of Texas at Tyler, where his work focused on literacy interventions, professional development and data analysis for cross-national studies such as PISA.

Ghimire’s research explores how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to analyze educational data and generate insights that strengthen teacher education and help close student achievement gaps.

He was recognized at UNCW’s Research and Innovation Celebration in September 2025 for his strong record of peer-reviewed journal publications. His work was also highlighted in a December 2025 Watson Chronicle story, “Nirmal Ghimire Advances Teacher Education with AI.”

Tyndall established the Professional Promise Award this year to support early-career faculty as they advance in their careers. The award provides $2,000 in travel support for conferences and other professional opportunities that help faculty share research and build scholarly networks as they progress toward tenure and promotion.

Tyndall served as dean of the education school from 1991 to 1999, prior to it being named the Watson College of Education. During his career at UNCW, he also served as associate provost, vice chancellor for information technology, vice chancellor for public service and continuing education, and executive-in-residence at the Cameron School of Business before retiring in 2017.