What an honor, and well deserved!
UC Davis Professor Shahid Siddique of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, received the 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award at the annual meeting of the international Society of Nematologists (SON) held in Baltimore.
"He fosters a learning environment of curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking, three factors important in teaching science," wrote nominator Joanna Chiu,, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. "In doing so, he encourages and empowers his students to succeed, and champions their accomplishments."
Siddique, a member of the department's executive committee, is the lead faculty advisor for the undergraduate entomology major. Siddique is known for his innovative teaching, strong communication skills, passion for nematology, and dedication to academic excellence and public engagement.
Exceptional Scientist
"He is an exceptional scientist with an outstanding research track record; he is currently a principal investigator of nine research grants," Chiu shared. "His commitment to excellence shows in all he does, from organizing sessions at SON’s international meetings, to serving on editorial boards, to reviewing upcoming journal articles, to engaging in scientific outreach, to advising industry boards, and to sharing information in public outreach. All of these experiences combine to create the exemplary educator that he is."
Siddique joined the UC Davis faculty in March of 2019 from the University of Bonn, Germany, where he served as a research group leader in nematology from August 2010 to February 2019. Born and raised in Multan, Pakistan, he holds a doctorate in entomology (2009) from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
"When he joined our department, Dr. Siddique hit the ground running, so to speak," Chiu noted. "He re-developed, re-designed and re-invigorated two courses, NEM 100, and NEM 201. Both courses emphasize active learning, integration of current research, and hands-on components. In doing so, he significantly increased the enrollment, which continues to trend upwards."
Revisions Both Rigorous and Approachable
In her letter of support, UC Davis Professor emerita and nematologist Valerie Williamson wrote that "since joining the Department of Entomology and Nematology, Dr. Siddique has invested significant effort in redesigning and revitalizing NEM 100 and NEM201. These revisions have resulted in a course that is both rigorous and approachable, and that has broadened student interest in biological and agricultural sciences. The course is popular and well attended, and several students have been sufficiently inspired by the course that they subsequently pursued research opportunities, including in Dr. Siddique’s laboratory."
"In addition to his undergraduate teaching, Dr. Siddique has developed and taught NEM 201 (Molecular Nematology) at the graduate level, where he brings current research, primary literature, and emerging methodologies directly into the classroom," Williamson pointed out. "Across both undergraduate and graduate courses, his teaching is characterized by clarity, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to student learning."
In her letter of support, Amanda Hodson, UC Davis assistant of soil ecology and pest management, noted that Siddique recently reformatted the undergraduate course, NEM 100: General Plant Nematology, "to include more hands-on laboratory sections where students sample soil, extract their own nematodes and learn to identify them under the microscope. I have observed that his lectures are very
interactive and engaging and the course consistently enrolls more than 30 students each year. The students are so engaged, in fact, that I know of several who went on to work in his laboratory to further their interest in nematodes."
His mentoring approach "emphasizes experimental rigor, professional development, and individualized goal-setting," Hodson shared. "When I have interacted with his graduate students by serving on their qualifying exams, thesis proposals and at conferences, I was impressed. You can tell that they have thought deeply about their subjects and are well trained. It is obvious that students coming out of his lab are well on their way to becoming leaders in their field."
Students Evaluate Him as Excellent
Siddique's students continually evaluate him as “excellent,” scoring him the highest marks in all categories, including use of materials and methods; effectiveness, knowledge, and command of the subject matter; organization and clarity of presentations; responsiveness and willingness to receive questions and comments; and enthusiasm for teaching and ability to make the subject interesting.
Doctoral candidates Veronica Casey and Alison Blundell both praised his strong communication skills, his passion for nematology, his caring attitude, his work to provide up-to-date content, and his drive to help students succeed.
Siddique encourages his students to attend and participate in SON meetings, and many have won top awards for their presentations; Blundell won the 2025 John M. Webster Outstanding Student Award. On the UC Davis campus, Siddique spearheads the nematology collection at the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, and the campuswide UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, a “Super Science Day” which showcases a dozen museums or collections. He and his graduate students and postdoctoral scholars exhibit live nematodes and specimens, show nematodes through microscopes, and answer questions about such topics as dog heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) and tomato plants infected with root-knot nematodes.
SON was formed to advance the science of nematology in both its fundamental and economic aspects. To serve this purpose, the organization "acts as an agency for the exchange of information, holds regular meetings, and promotes and extends knowledge in all phases of nematology," according to its website. "The Society operates on a nonprofit basis exclusively for the accomplishment of these educational and scientific goals."