Rick Marta has been recognized for his excellence in teaching with a 2020 Distinguished Teacher Award from the Centre for Teaching Excellence.
His students recognize his “dedication to developing course materials, assisting his students during experiments, and his ability to provide one-on-one support.” Many of his students praise his open-door policy as he ensures that he welcomes everyone who needs support, or is always open for a friendly conversation.
Marta’s passion and enthusiasm for chemistry has inspired many students to enter the field and pursue further education.
As one colleague wrote, “students marvel at his ability to present difficult concepts lucidly and in plain language; they praise his willingness to sit down with each of them to explain it all over again, no matter how large the class or how long the hours.”
Marta’s friendly personality and demeanour demonstrates that he genuinely cares deeply about the educational aspirations of each student. His impact on student learning extends far beyond the classroom.
The Distinguished Teacher Award is given to University of Waterloo teachers based on evidence of intellectual vigour and communication skills in the interpretation and presentation of the subject matter in more than just the classroom, along with the instructor’s human quality and concern for and sensitivity to the needs of the students.
Since its inception in 1975, more than 150 Distinguished Teacher Awards have been awarded to exemplary instructors at the University of Waterloo. The Faculty of Science has 33 recipients.
The other receipients of a 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award were Cynthia Richard (Science, School of Pharmacy), Lowell Ewert (Arts) and Rajinder Pal (Engineering).