NCSU weather prof wins teaching award

More than a decade’s worth of meteorology students have known that professor Gary Lackmann is an excellent teacher. And now the entire American Meteorological Society knows.

Dr. John Knox, associate professor of geography in the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia and chair of the AMS Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award Committee, said, “This national award is named after one of the most distinguished meteorologists in history who also won multiple teaching awards at MIT. This year all the nominees exhibited a high quality of teaching success and level of commitment to teaching and mentoring. But, despite the intense competition, every committee member felt that Dr. Lackmann was highly worthy.”

Lackmann said it was a “tremendous honor” to receive the award.

"I work very hard to ‘protect' time for teaching, including lecture preparation, developing labs and homework assignments, grading and meeting with students. I am constantly working to improve as a teacher,” he told WRAL. The award represented "recognition, and validation, for dedicating time to teaching. This isn't to say that I don't work hard on research and service, but building teaching strongly into the balance of what we do is what distinguishes universities from research laboratories.”

Lackmann’s ability to teach doesn’t stop with students. Count WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel as someone who has benefited from Lackmann’s ability to relate advanced meteorological concepts in an understandable way. Says Fishel, “Gary is one of those rare guys that is brilliant but doesn’t realize it. He doesn’t come across as someone who thinks he knows everything. That’s what makes people feel comfortable approaching him and tapping into the vast array of knowledge he has."