John Snyder Receives the Templeton Prize
Snyder Recognized for Excellence in Student Advising
For the second year in a row, a member of the Chemistry faculty has received the Templeton Prize for Excellence in Student Advising, the top undergraduate advising award given by the College of Arts and Sciences.
The 2009 recipient is Prof. John Snyder. Despite his busy schedule which involves teaching, research, and management of two NSF summer undergraduate research programs, this dedicated advisor and mentor is always available to meet with undergraduates. One student related that “Anytime I have a problem, personal or academic, Dr. Snyder was right there and took the time to give me advice and help. He even went out of his way to find me a scholarship for the summer so I could take two classes that I wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.”
Among many enthusiastic accolades, another student stated: “Being a freshman and ignorant of many aspects of college life, I had trouble adjusting. It was always my dream to enter graduate school one day. However, I really had no clue what to do to get there. I sought the advice of my professors, but Dr. Snyder really helped me the most. He would spend time to get to know me, understand what type of person I am, help me to learn where my strengths and abilities are, and to help me to discover which aspect of chemistry I was most passionate about. In doing so, I personally felt that Professor Snyder went the extra mile to be a part of my academic journey. It is professors like Dr. Snyder that make Boston University such a great school.”
May 2009
This news item has been adapted from the April 30, 2009, award announcement at the CAS Faculty Meeting. We thank the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Wayne Snyder, for sharing his citation.