Indian American Saleha Khumawala chosen as Piper Professor

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Saleha Khumawala, Robert Grinaker Professor of accounting at the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, has been chosen as a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

The honor is given only in Texas to those who provide superior teaching at the college level and Khumawala, an Indian American, is the 12th University of Houston faculty member to receive it.

In its 60th year, the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, a Texas-based nonprofit organization founded in 1950 to support charitable, scientific and educational undertakings, selects 10 honorees from across the state each year.

“This is a tremendous recognition that illustrates the amount of teaching and various opportunities that I have been afforded throughout my career. I could not have done this without the support I have received from my family, particularly my husband, my colleagues and my students. I am truly indebted to each and every one of them,” Khumawala said in a statement.

While she grew up in India during the 1950s, Khumawala interest in education came from the lack of education her parents received.

“Their lack of education was the main reason that I and my siblings’ education was paramount in our family. For nearly five decades, teaching has been my calling,” she said.

Khumawala is an innovative leader in the classroom as she connects those principles to each student’s goals and dreams and weaves in her own passion for entrepreneurship and service.

Khumawala is also the founding director of the Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship (SURE™) Program and she leads the Study Abroad India Program, which is a 17-day trip to various cities in India that includes visits with officials and government, corporate and educational institutions.