Ria Chong interviewed Chemistry Professor Christopher Peabody, as she gave him these awards: the Friendliest Professor and Funniest Professor awards for Teachers’ Appreciation Week 2015.

Ria Chong (RC): How do you feel about winning this award?

Christopher Peabody (CP): I am happy with the Friendliest [Professor award], but I like the [Funniest Professor award] too. I do teach with a lot of humor, and I’ve had students coming back and telling me they remembered something because it was funny. That’s good. I also think that sitting in class can be very boring, so I do try to mix things. I teach stories which come across as funny.

RC: What’s your message to your students whom voted for you?

CP: Being friendly isn’t just the case of walking around and smiling, it’s also a case of realizing there’s so much beauty [around us] and so many nice people that are afraid to show it. People don’t smile because of putting barriers. They’re letting worry and fear hinder them from getting to know other people. They actually look much prettier when they smile.