Albany Lecturer of the Year has great chemistry

Professor Al Nielson proved great chemistry can make a difference by winning the Albany Students Association 2014 Albany Lecturer of the Year.

It is the third year in a row that the Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences - and the College of Sciences - has taken out the top award, with Associate Professor Chris Scogings and Associate Professor Shaun Cooper winning in 2013 and 2012 respectively.

Professor Nielson, from Kumeu, is no stranger to the awards, having been nominated every year since their inception in 2005 and winning the College of Sciences award in 2007 and 2008, and this year. He says hes delighted to finally win the coveted award.

"Ive always wanted to win this award - its a wonderful reflection of what the students think - and its also immensely rewarding to be able to change their lives through chemistry."

In addition to teaching chemistry classes Professor Nielson also runs chemistry clinics four times a week in the first semester, and tutorials during study week to help students grasp essential chemistry concepts to enable them to succeed.

"When I was their age, I was one of those students who liked things to be explained to me, instead of rote learning. I liked to understand - and thats the way I like students to be taught now - to have complete understanding of the subject. There are no silly questions. And if they dont understand, its my problem, because Im not explaining it properly," he says.

This patience and passion for sharing his love of chemistry is reflected in a small sample of the many comments students sent in, such as: "Lots of passion and so inspiring", "Makes the topic fun and interactive while caring about student success", "Good lecture structures; clear and helpful" and "My experience with this paper made me wish I had more chemistry papers in my degree."

The Lecturer of the Year award is organised by the Albany Students Association (ASA) and is based on nominations from students across the year. ASA Advocacy coordinator Penny Lyall says this year they received the highest number of nominations in the awards 10-year history.

"We received 167 nominations this year, and it goes to show that exceptional teaching is recognised by students here at Albany," she says. The inclusion of the Advocacy Accolades also recognises additional effort by lecturers that has been quietly noticed across campus.

ASA President Andre Budel says the awards not only celebrate the winners, but recognise and reward each lecturer nominated. "It cannot be overestimated, the very important thing that lecturers do - imparting information and inspiring students."

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Albany Lecturer of the Year has great chemistry