Class has been dismissed for one Belmont Abbey College professor — at least for the semester — after he fractured his back and neck in a car wreck three weeks ago.
Physics and math professor Rajive Tiwari and his son were headed out to shop when the Feb. 11 wreck happened near South Park Mall in Charlotte. Tiwari’s son was driving when another car ran through a red light, slammed into Tiwari’s car, spun them around and caused the car to strike a pole in the median.
The son and father were both taken to the emergency room. Tiwari’s son was discharged with a backache and neck ache.
Tiwari learned he had two fractures in his neck and one in his lower back.
“I have this collar around my neck,” Tiwari said. “It’s no fun at all.”
The injuries mean Tiwari’s colleagues are picking up his four courses, one of which is a physics class with two labs. Tiwari hopes to be better in time to teach a summer class, but plans to be back at the college in time for classes this fall. He’s been teaching at the college since 1994.
“First of all, I've been really touched by the overwhelming response in terms of cards and guests,” Tiwari said.
Current and past students have wished the professor well, helping to cheer him up.
“I definitely miss my students. And that’s the biggest thing I would like to say. I can’t wait to be back in the classroom as soon as possible,” Tiwari said. “It’s at times like these that I feel how big a part of my life the students are. And during the normal course of things, you take things for granted. You think you’ll (always) be there.”
Abbey graduates might remember Tiwari as a foreign film buff. For around 12 years, he showed foreign films once a month.
“We used to have this cultural event requirement. And so the films qualified as both, so a lot of people — that was kind of the trigger for them to attend,” Tiwari said. “But then a couple of years ago, they did away with that requirement.”
Attendance started to lag, so he quit showing the films a few years ago. Tiwari’s still a foreign film buff but hasn’t been able to catch up on any of his must-see films because of the pain medication he’s taking.
“I’m not able to focus my mind enough to accomplish anything,” Tiwari said. “Unfortunately, this period of rest comes with strings attached.”
Tiwari became interested in physics in the eighth grade after reading some biographies of people involved in physics. He is originally from India and earned his undergraduate degree there. He went to graduate school at Rutgers to earn his doctorate, then came to Belmont Abbey College.
“I’m very grateful for the students and all the love I’ve received, but also the administration and their understanding,” Tiwari said.
You can reach reporter Amanda Memrick at 704-869-1839 or follow @AmandaMemrick on Twitter.