Suzanne Marie Gray, an assistant professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources has received the 2018 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching at The Ohio State University. Honored for their superior teaching, faculty members are nominated by present and former students and colleagues and selected by a committee of alumni, students, and faculty.
Suzanne Marie Gray’s aquatic ecology and management courses are a draw for students who appreciate the opportunity to solve problems. One of her innovative pedagogical methods involves assigning students a problem statement to investigate—e.g., how will the planet’s warming affect the metabolisms of freshwater fish, and what physiological adaptations do the fish have that can help with this warming effect? Groups then investigate scientific literature on the subject and write reports. Says a student, “This style of teaching made me think about the underlying processes at work in the broader, overall context. I'm pretty sure that I took in more information in this one semester class than most of my other classes combined.”