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In his 16 years of teaching at Cornell University, Antonio DiTommaso has taught more than 1,000 students in his weed science and integrated pest management courses. The evaluations of many of these students contributed to the decision of The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) to award professor DiTommaso with this year’s Crop Science Teaching Award.

Professor DiTommaso is a professor in Soil & Crop Sciences section in the School of Integrative Plant Science and the Richard C. Call Director of Agricultural Sciences. He currently teaches two undergraduate courses and one graduate course, while also conducting research and advising students in the Weed Ecology & Management Laboratory.

This award is presented based on an evaluation of criteria from peer and student evaluations. These include innovative approaches to encourage learning, and student-teacher interactions. In his own words, professor DiTommaso describes his teaching philosophy as “founded on respect both for students as individuals and for the pedagogical process. My approach is based on the following belief: As students become active observers, they will be motivated to seek and learn new ways to discover, problem-solve, collaborate, and develop critical thinking. Thus, it is my role and responsibility as a teacher, to seek ways to stimulate, encourage, and enhance students` curiosity.”

It is through this approach that he will be recognized for his accomplishments at the CSSA’s International Annual Meeting, November 15-18, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN.

A well-earned congratulations to professor DiTommaso from his students, CALS, and Cornell!

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