Students say ‘Thank You’ to CBS Faculty and Staff

At the end of the academic year, students expressed their gratitude for their favourite faculty and staff.

Six CBS instructors were nominated by first-year undergraduates for Student Housing Services’ Professor Recognition Award this year, out of a total of 14 nominees from across the University. Many students also shared messages of appreciation as part of a university-led initiative, which was shared on U of G Insider. Below, we’ve consolidated some of the quotes from students:

Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe

• “Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe took the time out of her day to help me make the decision to switch into microbiology and it changed my entire uni experience!”

Dr. Tim Bartley

• “I loved having Tim as my professor during the fall semester and am excited to have other courses with him throughout my degree. He made class fun and encouraging. I appreciated that even though he and Dan have different styles of teaching they both made an effort to keep the classes consistent and cohesive. I know as a first year, I haven't had many experiences with professors, but Tim has been my favourite and has left a great impression.”
• “Extremely fun class. Effective teaching style, open, interesting discussions.”

Dr. Bill Bettger

• “Prof. Bettger taking the time to talk to students about their post-grads journeys and reminding them to enjoy these years and all the knowledge you gained! It made me so excited become a Guelph grad in June!”

Dr. David Dyck

• “Dr. Dyck bringing Easter chocolate for his class and always sharing stories about his imperfect journey to where he is now!”
• “David is a wonderful professor. His courses are always so fun and he is such an engaging prof. He never fails to make his students laugh and is one of the most supportive profs I've had.”

Dr. Dan Grunspan

• “Very fun and engaging prof. Posed big idea type questions and led very interesting discussions. I also really liked the course setup and their teaching methods.”
• “Dan provided me with support and encouragement after the first BIOL*1070 midterm, and reassured me that it is perfectly okay and normal to see the drop in grades when transitioning from high school to university, and that it does not define my abilities as a student. Dan also provided a fairly stress-free courseload, which helped with adjusting to university life.”
• “I love how you start all your slideshows with fun facts and real-life scenarios for what the lecture is about.”
• “Him and the other professor he taught with, Timothy Bartley, were both amazing instructors who genuinely cared for all the students in their class. You both are by far my favorite professors I have had so far, thank you for everything!”

Kelly Lucas

• “Academic advisor Kelly Lucas is amazing and is really kind and helpful! She made my day by helping me solve a problem that I was super stressed about.”

Dr. Lindsay Robinson

• “Very passionate about what she teaches while keeping information concise and easy to understand :)”
• “Super engaging! Absolutely my favourite class to attend - love the content and she is just the best!”
• “Dr. Robinson is an amazing professor and teacher. It's only my first year, but I have never encountered such an enthusiastic and genuine teacher before. She taught things that were useful for the curriculum, yes, but every class I could walk away with some new knowledge that I could apply to the real world. Dr. Robinson has a very friendly attitude at the front of the lecture hall and I can really tell that she loves what she does!”
• “She is an amazing professor and I really enjoy sitting through her lectures. She is amazing at lecturing. You can truly see her passion for what she teaches and it is just great to see every week.”

Dr. Enoka Wijekoon

• "Such a sweet professor, genuinely cares for her students and wants them to succeed. Love her so much.”
• “Professor Wijekoon always wears a smile and is so engaging to learn from. She cares for her students as individuals and invites great conversation about course content. Thank you for a wonderful semester!"