WATERLOO, Ont. -- University of Waterloo math lecturer Ron Scoins is one of seven instructors across the province receiving the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations award for "excellence in university teaching."

The awards are presented annually to "faculty at Ontario universities who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their respective disciplines," said OCUFA president Henry Jacek.

"These are the men and women who both inspire and inform their students . . . people who make a difference both to their profession, and in the lives of their students by ensuring the best in course development, instruction, and research."

A citation prepared for the award describes Scoins, in part, as "the author, co-author or editor of numerous . . . educational materials: six volumes of Problems, Problems, Problems; Problems and How to Solve Them, and Can you Pass These Tests?"

As director of the University of Waterloo's prestigious Canadian Mathematics Competition, he has overseen the development of years of contest materials. Scoins is also a teacher/leader for the contest-winning students during the annual week-long seminar held each June on the UW campus.

He has a distinguished record of developing workshops for high school mathematics teachers across Canada. He was a founding member of the Grand Valley Mathematics Association, an important forum for the exchange of ideas on teaching that subject, and many teachers write that he has been a key figure bridging the gap between high school and university teachers of mathematics.

"His students are impassioned in their accounts of his generosity, encouragement, good humour and constant support. Many who had a fear of mathematics report that they grew to love it because of Prof. Scoins," the citation said.

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Release no. 113 -- June 13, 2001