Dr. Joseph Khoury to receive the 2020 CMS Excellence in Teaching Award

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Khoury (UOttawa) has been named the 2020 recipient of the CMS Excellence in Teaching Award.

Dr. Khoury has been a lecturer at the University of Ottawa for over 20 years. He received his B.Sc. (Hons.) from the Lebanese University in Beirut and his Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa in 2001, for a thesis focused on types of locally nilpotent derivations, a subject linked to Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry. Since 2001, Dr. Khoury has also held the position of coordinator of Math Help Centre in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa where he also leads the department’s outreach program. He has received many awards and honours throughout his career including the Part-Time Professor of Year Award, which is the University of Ottawa’s most prestigious award for teaching by a Lecturer, the Outstanding Contribution to Students’ Experience Award, and the CMS Distinguished Service Award. He has inspired countless students and many colleagues with his passion for teaching and mathematics education.

During his time at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Khoury has taught a large variety of courses in both English and French, from first- year introductory mathematics classes to higher level discrete math and differential equations. In all of these, his teaching evaluations have consistently ranked near perfect and the feedback that he receives from his students speaks to his dedication to teaching and his natural talent for the practice.

University of Ottawa professor and a colleague of Dr. Khoury’s, Dr. Rafal Kulik believes:

"Joseph Khoury exemplifies passion and excellence in teaching, educational leadership, and mathematics outreach. He is unquestionably the best teacher of our entire department… he is a leader on the national stage, sharing his vision of mathematics with students, colleagues and the profession."

Beyond his excellence and dedication to student success in the classroom, Dr. Khoury is also a national visionary and leader in mathematics education. He has organized and developed several highly successful outreach programs such as Math Horizons Day and the annual CMS Math Camps (the largest of its kind across Canada), as well as several Education Sessions at various conferences.

Dr. Khoury has also published a number of scientific articles in referred journals and is currently writing his third book entitled A tale of Discrete Mathematics. He and his wife Antoinette have three children. He enjoys, among other things, music, history, and international political affairs.