The Todd Anderson undergraduate teaching award, given annually to undergraduate teaching assistants who have demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching in the Experimental Studies Group, were presented to Matthew "Doc" Bowman, a senior in chemistry from Wray, CO, and Benjamin "Max" Davis, a senior in mechanical engineering from Wayne, ME.
This award, now in its second year, was made possible by an annual contribution of $1,500 by Todd Anderson, who taught chemistry andsupervised chemistry undergraduate teaching assistants at ESG from 1991-95. Mr. Anderson received the 1995 Goodwin Medal for excellence in teaching as a graduate student.
Mr. Bowman was a teaching assistant in several sections of chemistry at ESG from 1997-99. One student wrote of him, "In addition to dedication, he showed a command of the subject such that he occasionally presented material beyond the curriculum for those who desired it... Doc is known for weekend and all night review sessions, and is famous for bringing snacks. He was adored and respected by student and staff alike."
Mr. Davis developed and taught two new seminars in Lego Robotics as well as a new seminar titled "A Hands-On Approach to Mechanical Engineering." One staff member wrote about him, "He not only puts in a lot of effort in developing and teaching these seminars, but inspires and stimulates students by giving them exciting projects to work on. He has a real creative touch, and has done an amazing job of encouraging the students and exciting their imaginations."
A version of this article appeared in the June 2, 1999 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 43, Number 32).
