Name: Matthias Leu
Hometown? Right now, Williamsburg… but I lived in Switzerland for half my life and United States for the other half
Major? I majored in Biology with a focus in Organism Biology.
What University did you get your Ph.D from? University of Washington
How long have you taught at William and Mary? 5 years
Is this your first year teaching Biol 220/221? Yes
How do you like it? I love teaching it. I don’t think I can say that more enthusiastically. Freshmen are more fun to teach because they are open minded, which makes it more enjoyable.
Have you and Dr. Swaddle worked side by side before? We did a little bit before, but not as intensely as we do right now. We exchange thoughts on lectures, class examples, quizzes, etc. I think it’s a wonderful way to teach this course (Bio 220).
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What other classes do you teach? I teach Conservational Biology with a lab and Geographic Information System for Biologists (In this class, I teach about the software that allows you to ask questions in spatial biology).
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Favorite thing about William and Mary? That is a tough one; there are many, many things I could chose from. However, I would choose the students (and colleagues). The students are into learning, which makes teaching and research a really exciting daily activity. Students are more intellectually stimulating and ask more questions in class, making it fun to teach.
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Coffee or Tea? I drink both… it really depends on the time of day. Morning is coffee and the afternoon is tea (I love green tea).
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Pets? Yes, I have an English Setter named Lily.
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Hobbies? I am an avid outdoor person… nature watching, backpacking. If I have a free moment, I am outdoors. I also love biking a lot.
Anything else you would like to add? Yes, tip to the freshmen (and all students): Never give up. There is always a way and as a student you have to be the person that is willing to take the risk to walk down that road.