The 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards: Darshak Patel

Each Wednesday this summer, UKNow is highlighting a winner of the University of Kentucky’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards, given by the Office for Faculty Advancement with the Office of the Provost.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 29, 2026) — Darshak Patel, Ph.D., professor in the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, is one of 10 recipients of UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize UK faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement. Recipients were selected via nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the UK Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

For Patel, teaching is about helping students make sense of the world around them.

Through economics, he encourages students to explore the real-world decisions that shape communities, businesses and public policy. By connecting classroom concepts to everyday challenges, Patel works to equip students with the tools to think critically, evaluate information and make evidence-based decisions.

As part of this summer series, UKNow connected with Patel to learn more about his experience and approach to teaching.

UKNow: How would you describe your area of expertise and why is the work important right now?

Patel: My area of expertise is helping students understand how economics can make sense of the world around them. At its core, economics is about telling stories, using data, incentives and human behavior to explain why people, businesses and governments make the choices they do.

Whether examining rising food prices, interest rates, immigration policy or local investment decisions, economics helps us understand the tradeoffs, spillover effects and likely outcomes of those choices. I want students to see that economics is not just graphs and models — it’s a tool for making better decisions and creating value in their careers, communities and personal lives.

That work is especially important today because we are surrounded by more information than ever, and economics provides a framework for separating signal from noise and making thoughtful, evidence-based decisions.

UKNow: What core principles guide your approach to teaching, and how do those show up in your classroom or learning environments?

Patel: My teaching is guided by three core principles: relevance, engagement and relationships. Students learn best when they can connect classroom concepts to their own lives, actively participate in the learning process and know their instructor genuinely cares about their success.

I want students to become adaptable learners who can gather information from different sources, evaluate it critically and use it to solve problems. Whether through simulations, data projects, study abroad programs, business partnerships or class discussions, I try to create learning experiences that go beyond memorization and encourage students to apply ideas in real-world settings.

Most importantly, I want every student to feel valued, supported and confident that they belong in the conversation.

UKNow: Can you share a moment — inside or outside the classroom — that affirmed the value of your work as an educator?

Patel: One of the most meaningful moments came during a study abroad program in Kenya. Students traveled to a remote village and worked alongside families participating in a Universal Basic Income program, helping conduct household surveys and facilitate the distribution of funds.

Through conversations with residents, students gained firsthand insight into the difficult decisions families face, from spending money on food, education and health care to making investments that could create a better future for their children. They also saw how decisions are shaped by broader community challenges, including poverty and drought.

Many students described the experience as transformative, and several told me it changed how they viewed economics, poverty and their role in the world. Watching students make those connections reminded me why I teach and reinforced my belief that learning is most powerful when it is relevant, engaging and rooted in meaningful human relationships.

UKNow: What do you hope your students take with them after they leave your course(s)?

Patel: I hope students leave my courses with a sense of curiosity and a willingness to challenge ideas, including their own.

More than any specific concept or model, I want them to develop the tools and confidence to continue learning long after graduation and to use those skills to add value to their own lives and the lives of others. I hope they leave with the ability to think critically, solve problems and approach challenges with evidence-based reasoning while remaining open to different perspectives.

If students leave my classroom asking better questions, making more informed decisions and feeling empowered to make a positive difference in the world around them, then I have done my job.

UKNow: What does receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award mean to you?

Patel: Receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award is both an incredible honor and a deeply humbling experience. Teaching has always been the most meaningful part of my academic career, and this recognition reflects the many students, colleagues and mentors who have influenced my journey.

It is especially meaningful because so much of my work has focused on creating opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, from study abroad programs and the Econ Games to mentoring and experiential learning initiatives. This award serves as both a celebration of that work and a reminder of the responsibility we have as educators to continue innovating and investing in our students’ success.

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This year’s Outstanding Teaching Awards were given to six faculty and four graduate teaching assistants. Each winner received an award certificate, a commemorative engraved gift and a cash award in recognition of their teaching excellence at a campus ceremony on April 30. Read more here.