by Elio
The winner of the 2012 Peter Wildy Prize For Microbiology Education is Vincent Racaniello of Columbia University, a fellow blogger (Virology Blog) and the podcast host of TWiV (This Week in Virology), TWiP (This Week in Parasitism), and TWiM (This Week in Microbiology).
This prize is awarded annually by the Society for General Microbiology (UK) for an outstanding contribution to microbiology education, without restriction on the area of microbiology in which the award is made. This may include university teaching or education of the general public, school pupils or professional groups. The winner receives £1000 and gives a lecture on his/her work at a Society meeting. Vincent’s talk to the SGM was entitled Educating the World about Microbes and can be heard by clicking here.
Frankly, I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award. Vincent, with whom I have had the pleasure of working on TWiM, is a consummate master of communication. Seldom in my experience have I met a scientist who can deliver the pleasures of science in such an articulate way. To listen to him is to become enthralled with whatever it is he is talking about. I can bear witness to his fervor, his gentleness, his humor. The French have an expression for it: un homme engagé (roughly translated, a committed man). Vincent is indeed engagé!
Best possible choice. I listen to all his podcasts and completely enjoy them. Which I had had a teacher like VR when I went to University.
Posted by: Richard J. Lewis, Sr. | April 20, 2012 at 05:52 AM