Accountancy
In the more than 25 years that he has been associated with the University of Waterloo, professor Grant Russell has taught thousands of students in courses ranging from large introductory management classes to small graduate classes in advanced control systems. To each class, he brings a refreshing mix of rigour, relevance, humour and compassion to his students. Professor Russell has been a pioneer in promoting and developing key educational initiatives in the school of accountancy. Most recently, he has been involved with the reinvention of the on-campus and distance education versions of the introductory management course taken by approximately 500 students each fall. Committed to ensuring that students benefit from the opportunities of technology advances in management education, professor Russell was one of the first to set up chat rooms and messaging centres so that students could communicate with each other and with him throughout the course. He also insisted that students learn first-hand about investing by buying and selling real securities over the Internet on the TSE. Two years ago, he offered the course for the first time on CD-ROM to distance education students. Over the many years that professor Russell has been teaching, his students have recognized and appreciated the genuine interest that he exhibits in his material and in his students. His classes have been described not so much as lectures but as fascinating conversations with his students in which he increases their understanding of the materials and provides an opportunity to share their experiences. Put simply, Grant Russell cares deeply for his students and is widely recognized as a committed and outstanding teacher.