Professor Martin Williams was among the honored invitees at the "Recognition of the Contribution of Teaching Reception" presented by the Student Senate Caucus & the Undergraduate Academic Information Centre. The reception, held on Monday March 31st, recognized contributions made to the academic experience and celebrated the importance of teaching in post-secondary education. Professor Williams was nominated by Ms. Anita Acai, a Bachelor of Science student.

Ms. Anita Acai had the following to say about Professor Williams in her nomination:

“When I entered Introductory Mechanics in my first year I was determined to hate physics. Unfortunately (or very fortunately, as it turned out) this was just not possible with Dr. Williams as a Professor. Never have I met an instructor with more charisma & passion about physics - & teaching - than Dr. Williams. In his introductory physics classes Dr. Williams has the challenging task of teaching students from all areas of science about physics & he manages to do this in a way that makes it impossible to not want to go to class.

At the centre of all of Dr. Williams' lectures is a genuine desire to shape his students into critical thinkers & problem-solvers, not memorizers. It comes as no surprise that Dr. Williams has been nominated for TV Ontario's Best Lecturer Award two times in recognition of his impact on students & passion for teaching. He has also served as a mentor & faculty advisor to many students, always making himself available outside of class time for discussions (not just about course material) whenever his students need him. Dr. Williams is also deeply engaged in research related to the scholarship of teaching & learning, something that has inspired me to pursue a similar line of work in my graduate studies. In short, Dr. Williams is truly inspiring & an incredible asset to the University of Guelph. It is my honour to nominate him for this recognition event.”