Dr. Taval's initial interest in teaching started during his training towards obtaining a PhD degree. Upon entering the Ph.D program, the most influential of his mentors were those who successfully achieved a career by combining teaching with research. As a graduate student, Dr. Taval learned to appreciate the aspects of teaching and research that an academic career could provide. In addition to teaching, he has also been involved in mentoring and supervising many work-study students, research assistants and postdoctoral fellows.