College Honors 2021-22 LeRoy and Elva Martin Award Recipients

Jonathan Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Statistics, and Martha Burford Reiskind, research assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, have been honored by the College of Sciences with the 2021-22 LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence.

The Martin Award recognizes professors’ outstanding contributions to the College of Sciences’ teaching mission. The award was created in 2001 by the late LeRoy Martin Jr., a longtime mathematics professor at NC State, to honor his parents, Elva and LeRoy Martin.

Both Williams and Burford Reiskind have demonstrated a commitment to teaching, engaging students and leaving a positive and lasting impact on students and alumni. Edited excerpts from their nominations are below.

Jonathan Williams joined the NC State faculty in the fall of 2019. His research interests range from foundational theory to applications, which give him an excellent base upon which to engage students and link his teaching to his research. Williams consistently receives high evaluation scores and positive feedback from students for his ability to both challenge and support them. He scored a 4.5 in the effective teacher category when he taught ST 502 in the fall 2019 semester, which is exceptional for a first course taught by a first-term assistant professor.

Martha Burford Reiskind joined the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State as a research assistant professor in 2014 before moving to the Department of Biological Sciences in 2019. That same year, she took on the role of director of the highly successful Genetics and Genomics Scholars (GGS) Graduate program. She has developed various courses over the years, including special topics courses and a full-year program consisting of team-taught modules for the GGS program. Her student evaluations are consistently stellar, with students noting her commitment to their learning and her command of the subject.

This post was originally published in College of Sciences News.