Dr. William Osei first recipient of Algoma U Faculty Award

Algoma University College has established a new award this year, the Distinguished Faculty Award.

The new honour recognizes exceptional faculty contribution and the first recipient is Dr. William Osei, associate professor in the department of geography and geology.

"The recipient embodies the ideals of the University mission: teaching excellence and scholarship with a demonstrated commitment to community and institutional citizenship," the university said in a news release.

Dr. Osei is received the award for his tireless and extensive commitment to his students, the people of the country he was born in and his fields of expertise.

He told SooToday.com that teaching, rendering effective aid in Africa and being a member of a family/community takes real commitment to do one's best, even if that effort is met with failure.

"You can't do it half way," he said.

He applied that to his work in his home country of Ghana, saying that any aid given there must include full commitments from both giver and receiver, and that it will be sustainable by leading to self-sufficiency.

"Sometimes we are a big group and we are helping people maybe by teaching them how to plant and how to use applications," Osei said. "That's a great idea and you have to translate that to ongoing action."

He said that aid recipients have to accept these practices as a regular way of doing things and to have the tools, resources and knowledge to continue it after the aid group has left.

"The aid group has to work with that group to come up with things that are sustainable," he said.

Osei said he commits a considerable amount of his time to working on solutions to biomass problems in Africa and to research in Ghana as well.

He also said he enjoys teaching at Algoma University College because his commitment to his students and fellow faculty are very rewarding.

"Things tend to develop according to place and time," he said. "The principles in Northern Ontario are not too different than in Ghana."

The commitment of time spent creating courses and marking assignments as well as interacting with students, faculty and staff at Algoma has rewarded Osei with fulfilling, sustainable close personal ties, he said.

He also appreciates the support he receives from the university for his academic work.

"I can do research in my field from just about anywhere and they give me what I need to do it," he said.

Among his students graduating this year was 73-year-old Gordon Garrett.