Who is Professor Wilkins in the novel, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez?

Professor Wilkins is a professor of organic chemistry at the university. When Nina was in his class, she felt inferior to the other students. However, he encouraged her to persevere and suggested that other students did not answer her questions because they did not know the answers. At the end of the semester, at a party, Wilkins walked into the coat room when Nina was getting her things to leave. He drunkenly expressed his disappointment that she was leaving and then kissed her.