The Mary Tasker Award is made in recognition of excellence in teaching at the University.

In 2016 the award was presented to Dr Ian Walker in the Department of Psychology.

Dr Walker was selected by the Committee for his enthusiasm, passion and commitment to student learning, and for his wider contributions to the teaching and learning of his subject.

The topics Dr Walker teaches are traditionally the more difficult ones that students approach with trepidation, but his exceptional clarity, enthusiasm and inspirational and supportive approach makes them accessible and enables students to perform beyond their expectations.

Dr Walker’s influence and impact on learning goes considerably beyond the teaching in his own Department. He has developed a problem-based statistics teaching resource that will be made available internationally, has authored two international textbooks and is currently completing a third, has published papers on education and has actively promoted his discipline through contributions to the Bath Taps into Science festival and adult community psychology courses.

Noting that Dr Walker is also a top researcher in his field, the Committee felt that his achievements in learning and teaching were exceptional and that he was highly deserving of the Mary Tasker Award.