Professor Anthony Hyder is the 2015 Shilts/Leonard Award recipient. The Shilts/Leonard award is the premier teaching award within the College of Science.
Prof. Hyder joined the University of Notre Dame in 1993 as the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research. He started teaching one physics class per semester in 2001, and when he left the Office of the AVP in 2006 he relocated full time to the Department of Physics. Prof. Hyder has made significant contributions in the areas of teaching undergraduates, mentoring junior faculty members, and service to students.
From 2009-13 Prof. Hyder served as Director for Undergraduate Studies. In this role he was responsible for the undergraduate physics curriculum, teaching assignments, course scheduling, and student advising. He also helped bring to realization joint five-year programs with Saint Mary’s and Bethel College that has given students at those institutions opportunities to earn degrees in physics.
Prof. Hyder has a strong rapport with the physics undergraduates. He hosts holiday dinners at his home, is always available to tutor, and has guided many students in their paths to careers in physics.
Established in 1993, the Shilts/Leonard Award recognizes outstanding teaching in memory of Rev. James L. Shilts, C.S.C., a longtime Notre Dame astronomy and astrophysics professor who died in 1982. The award was endowed by Eugene T. Leonard, a surgeon and 1940 alumnus of the University.