Professor honored with service learning award for innovative teaching

Meena Vijayaraghavan, a senior professor of practice in cell and molecular biology in the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, has found a powerful way to combine genetics with service learning - by collaborating with New Orleans memory care units.

That approach recently earned Vijayaraghavan, known by her students as Dr. V, the 2026 Barbara E. Moely Service Learning Teaching Award, bestowed annually by the Tulane Center for Public Service.

The award recognizes faculty who demonstrate leadership in service learning by designing meaningful community-based experiences, connecting academic content to service and advancing civic engagement through teaching, research and community collaborations.

Through her work with memory care facilities, Vijayaraghavan introduces students to the realities of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, giving them the opportunity to observe real-world examples of memory loss and connecting them to genetic concepts such as disease progression, variation and the biology of neurodegeneration.

Over her 20 years at Tulane, Vijayaraghavan has worked with assisted living and memory care residents at Lambeth House and Poydras Home, creating an off-campus setting where lessons extend far beyond the classroom.

At Poydras Home, for example, students spend weeks getting to know residents and creating mementos to celebrate their lives.

Students, many of whom are aspiring physicians, have described their time with residents as among the most impactful and rewarding of their college years.

But the experience goes beyond personal connection. Students also observe and analyze what they see, such as short-term memory loss or long-term recall, and tie those observations to scientific concepts.

"They're not just there to talk," Vijayaraghavan said. "They observe, they research and they present their findings. It's directly connected to the course."

Students also develop patience and empathy.

"It can be frustrating when a patient doesn't remember something or can't finish a sentence," she said. "As future doctors, it's very important for them to keep pace with patients and not hurry them."

To prepare students, she incorporates training sessions and role-playing exercises so they know what to expect, including how to respond if a resident becomes upset.

"Our goal is not to make the residents anxious," Vijayaraghavan said. "We're there to learn from the residents and support them."

In addition to her work with memory care units, Vijayaraghavan has partnered with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), a statewide network that advances marine research and education. Through LUMCON, students collect and analyze water samples from local sites and present their findings, applying classroom concepts to environmental challenges.

When Vijayaraghavan learned she had received the Barbara E. Moely Service Learning Teaching Award, she was quick to credit her students.

"I was beyond elated and grateful," she said. "This award recognizes the immense work that students put in outside of their already demanding coursework, as well as the time our community collaborators devote to making these experiences meaningful."

Vijayaraghavan credits the Tulane Center for Public Service, her community collaborators and her service learning assistants for helping make those experiences possible.

Over the years, Vijayaraghavan has received multiple honors for teaching and advising, but she points to her students as her greatest influence.

"They have taught me so much," she said. "They have shaped me as a faculty member."