Senior Teaching Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago

“The power of story telling.”

Tony is a story-teller and his story is imbued with the nuances that make an excellent teacher: a web of interactions, navigating and negotiating challenges, creating an optimum environment for learning, a passion for teaching, and a love for his discipline. Peers say that Tony is an unstoppable generator of ideas.

Tony demonstrates excellence in every facet of teaching, from integrating planning, design, assessment and evaluation, to creating a stimulating environment that gives learners the best possible chance to learn. This permeates his teaching activities, whether it is in large lectures, laboratories or tutorials.

Tony is the recipient of numerous awards including the Otago University Student Association Best Teacher Award in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and he consistently receives exceptionally high learner evaluations.

One of Tony’s many strengths is his use of creative teaching strategies to make complex learning simple. A learner writes, 'He makes everything very easy and straightforward to understand … he is able to use great analogies to make a concept simple.' and 'It is great to be lectured by someone so focused on facilitating effective learning.'