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UQ microbiologist Associate Professor Jack Wang in the lab . Photo : Supplied
Microbiologist receives coveted teacher of the year award .
By Wade Zaglas
Associate Professor Jack Wang has taken out the prestigious Australian University Teacher of the Year award for 2020 , with the University of Queensland microbiologist recognised for his novel approaches to teaching nurses and doctors about COVID-19 and medical hygiene .
Part of his unique approach involves his students harvesting “ microorganisms from their own body ” and scoring “ their ability to communicate complex scientific ideas to their parents ”.
“ I get them into the lab with and without face masks and get them to cough on agar plates – and they see the impact . That is much more powerful than just telling them to wear a face mask ,” Wang said .
Universities Australia ( UA ) has run the awards since 2018 . UA chair Professor Deborah Terry congratulated the UQ microbiologist on his award , acknowledging his ability to make his field of study more understandable to the public .
“ I thank Associate Professor Wang for his work to make microbiology more widely understood in the community . He challenges his students to become citizen scientists in the digital age ,” she said .
For more than a decade Wang has taught in excess of 10,000 students . Strong student involvement is key to his highly regarded teaching practice , with first-year students required to research the bacteria levels of the human body by “ capturing microorganisms from their own skin ”.
The microbiologist also assesses his students ’ ability to communicate complex ideas and discoveries in “ layman ’ s language ”.
“ I have video assessment tasks and podcast assessment tasks where students who gave us their microorganism data explain what that means in a short video or podcast targeted at the general public ,” he said .
The Australian government established The Australian Awards for University Teaching ( AAUT ) in 1997 with the explicit purpose
The recipients of these awards are an amazing group of people who have dedicated their carers to student learning .
to “ celebrate and reward excellence in university teaching ”. Nominations for these highly regarded awards are “ assessed by an independent panel of expert academics from across the sector ”.
Professor Tracey Bretag from UniSA was posthumously given the coveted Career Achievement award , with her accomplishments and legacy also mentioned widely on Twitter .
“ Wonderful recognition for our great colleague @ UniversitySA Tracey Bretag , posthumously awarded the @ UNIAUS # AAUT 2020 Career Achievement Award ,” law professor Sally Kift tweeted . “ Her impact has been remarkable . We thank her and miss her .” “ Sad and sweet to see Prof Tracey Bretag honoured posthumously with an # AAUT career achievement award # highered ,” another academic said .
“ Professor Bretag was a leader in her field , and throughout her career she worked tirelessly to raise awareness on academic integrity ,” the UA chair said .
Terry also extended her congratulations to all of the award winners , drawing attention to the impact their expertise has on society .
“ The recipients of these awards are an amazing group of people who have dedicated their carers to student learning . Their expertise makes a difference to the lives of many ,” she concluded .
Other university teachers who were acknowledged in the awards for their contributions included : ∞ Dr Amanda White , UTS : Law , Economics , Business and Related
Studies . ∞ Associate Professor Michael Cowling , CQ University : Physical
Sciences and Related Studies . ∞ Associate Professor Matt Bower , Macquarie University : Social and Behavioural Sciences . ■
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