It is with great pleasure that we, the undersigned, nominate Dr. Gary Sneddon for the 2005 Motivational Teaching Award offered by the Math and Stats Society of Memorial University.

Dr. Sneddon is an enthusiastic, intelligent and creative professor, who has the unique ability to make learning statistics enjoyable through his clever choice of real life examples. Anyone who has ever taken one of his courses, surely can remember the M & M's!

He also has a way of making the best of any stressful situation. Dr. Sneddon is well-known for bringing Tim Horton's TimBits to course finals or presentations to pass around the class. This simple act shows us that he knows what it's like to be a student during these difficult times and that he truly cares.

An admirable trait of any individual, but especially a professor, is the ability to put a positive spin on any situation. Not all students excel at statistics and often when a student is feeling down and out due to a low test grade, Dr. Sneddon will encourage the student by pointing out areas in which the student did well. In addition to this, he offers the student additional help so that he or she realizes that they are not in this alone.

Dr. Sneddon has an open door policy, he goes out of his way to make students feel at ease and he is approachable and available in all situations. We appreciate that he shows a genuine concern for the well-being of each of his students. He is extremely professional in his relationships with students and always encourages us to excel and strive to be the best.

A university education is a crucial step in securing a meaningful career and Dr. Sneddon has displayed a keen interest in ensuring that his students gain knowledge and skills that ensure that they are marketable upon graduation. In fact, a considerable number of Dr. Sneddon's students have gone on to secure successful, meaningful employment prior to the completion of their degree.

In conclusion, Dr. Sneddon's dedication to the field of statistics and his support of his students, combined with his passion and integrity make him an excellent candidate for the 2005 Motivational Teaching Award!

• Mark Crocker
• Sean Collins
• Jeffrey Dowden
• Lauren Granter
• Amanda Lambert