Chemistry Faculty
Email: Uttar.Shrestha@np.edu
Phone: 501-760-4319
Dr. Uttar Shrestha completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tribhuvan
University, Nepal. His graduate work in Nepal was mainly focused on isolating natural
products from locally available medicinal plants. With the intent of getting higher
education, he joined New Mexico State University (NMSU), Las Cruces where he completed
his Ph.D. in Chemistry. His graduate work at NMSU involved the multistep synthesis
of a natural product molecule “(+)-Taumycin A” which has an interesting biological
profile. Under the supervision of Dr. William A. Maio, he published an article about
synthesizing a natural product compound "(+)-Taumycin A". As a graduate student in
the US, he had the privilege of learning how students from differing cultural, and
socioeconomic backgrounds assimilate knowledge.
Shrestha's teaching career started in middle school in Nepal where he taught mathematics
and science for 8-10th grade students. He found students more interested in the learning
process while fusing teaching methods with different activities and experiments. He
taught organic, physical and general chemistry along with labs for high school students
at Little Angels’ College, Nepal, and taught organic chemistry lectures and labs for
pharmacy students at pharmacy colleges in Nepal. He also had an opportunity to teach
students to solve problems using simple and easy methods.
Shrestha worked at the University of Michigan as a post-doctoral researcher where
he enjoyed working with undergraduate students. The platform helped him to further
strengthen his deeper understanding of working in a team.
Besides chemistry, he enjoys watching sports, especially soccer, cricket, and tennis,
and playing soccer. He also loves hiking, traveling, and spending quality time with
his family.
He stated, "I am thrilled to become a part of the National Park College family. Since
my first day, I have found everyone very supportive, caring, and professional. I found
myself lucky to be surrounded by such a helpful group of people. I am very excited
about helping students develop, express and exchange their ideas so that they serve
the local community."
Sharing is caring, and caring is love is a motto by which he lives.
