Many have lauded the teaching of Losick, who has received a Harvard College professorship for his excellent instruction.

“I think that he’s an outstanding professor,” said Ernie Chang, a two-time discussion teaching fellow in BS 52. “He’s very good at describing concepts in molecular biology that could be very confusing.”

Steve R. Brauer ’04, a former BS 52 student, concurred.

“Professor Losick gave very clear explanations and interesting lectures,” he said.

“He’s been an integral person in designing the lab and ensuring that it meshes well with the rest of the course,” said Lauraine Dalton, the laboratory preceptor for the course.

Recipients of the teaching grants were chosen from among 150 candidates nominated by 84 universities, according to Barkanic.

“It was a very strenuous, rigorous selection,” he said. “We wanted to see that there had been some teaching experience. All of the candidates are strong researchers.”

Losick said he knows many of the other 19 grant recipients and he looks forward to collaborating with them as part of “a team effort.”

Barkanic said such collaboration “is really something we hoped to achieve” through symposia and annual meetings.

The Hughes Institute has awarded $500 million in grants in the past 14 years to improve science education, Barkanic said.

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.