Recognizing the excellence of educators and staff

Remarkable things are taking place at Queen’s to ensure an exceptional learning experience for students. Each year, teaching awards are presented to honour this commitment and hard work.

Recently, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane and Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning Gavan Watson hosted a reception at Grant Hall to celebrate these annual awards and recognize the 2023-24 recipients.

The event honoured recipients of more than 30 teaching awards conferred by the faculties and several partners such as the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning), the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, the Alma Mater Society (AMS), and the Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).

“These individuals and teams are dedicated to fostering innovative and inclusive learning environments that enable students to acquire the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to achieve their goals,” said Vice-Provost Watson during the event opening. “Congratulations to all recipients and thank you to everyone joining us to celebrate these significant university-wide awards.”

Earning university-wide teaching awards from FAS are:

  • Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award - Fall: Anthea Fitz-James (Department of Film and Media)
  • Teaching Assistant/Teaching Fellow Excellence Award - Hebatalla Ouda (School of Computing)
  • John G. Freeman Faculty Excellence Award - Christopher Omelon (Department of Geography and Planning)
  • International Student Scholarship Award - Leila Pujal (Department of Chemistry)
  • Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision - Asha Varadharajan (Department of English)
  • Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award - Jennifer Kennedy (Department of Art History)
  • Principal’s Alumni Award for Engaging Students as Partners in Learning, in partnership with the Queen’s University Alumni Association - burcu habibe baba (Departments of Gender Studies and Cultural Studies)
  • Principal’s Promoting Student Inquiry Teaching Award, in partnership with Queen's Library - Ian Fanning (Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures and Department of Global Development Studies)

Earning Faculty and School teaching awards from FAS are:

  • Biology Innovation in Teaching Award - Susan Yates
  • Biology Excellence in Teaching Award - Ian Chin-Sang
  • Biology Award for Excellence (Demonstrators) - Allen Tian
  • Biology Departmental Student Council Award for Excellence in Teaching - Paul Grogan
  • Queen's Economics Department Undergraduate Teaching Prize - Ian Keay
  • Gender Studies Teaching Award - 2022 – 2023: Ayca Tomac; 2021 – 2022: Kendall Witaszek
  • Geography DSC Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance- Rachel Barber
  • Julian Szeicz Award for Excellence in Teaching (Geography and Planning) - Elizabeth Nelson
  • Geoff Lockwood Award for Excellence in Teaching Physics - 2022-23: Jordan Morelli
  • Excellence in Instruction in the Engineering Physics Program - 2022-23: Aaron Vincent
  • Excellence in Instruction in Pure Physics - 2022-23: Sarah Sadavoy
  • Graduate Teaching in Psychology - Jeffrey Wammes
  • Teaching Assistant Prize in Psychology - Colleen Pearce
  • Undergraduate Teaching Award in Psychology - David Hauser
  • Excellence in Teaching Assistance, School of Computing - Katherine Williams
  • Howard Staveley Teaching Award, School of Computing - Randy Ellis
  • School of Environmental Studies Student's Choice Professor of the Year Award - Ryan Danby
  • School of Environmental Studies Student's Choice Teaching Assistant Award - Giorgia Reeves
  • Health Studies Award for Excellence in Teaching - Mary Louise Adams
  • Health Studies Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance - Alyssa Comfort
  • PHEKSA Award for Excellence in Teaching - Luc Martin
  • PHEKSA Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance - Stuart Mladen

More details about the celebration and a full list of recipients can be found in the digital program available on the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor’s website.

“I am remarkably proud of the educators and staff at Queen’s who are committed to enriching the student learning experience,” said Principal Deane during his welcome. “Your work to create and promote transformative educational opportunities is inspiring.”

The Principal’s Teaching and Learning Awards were among the awards celebrated at the reception and the nomination period for the 2024-25 awards will open later this fall. During his remarks, Principal Deane also announced a new initiative that will launch in the new year as a complement to these awards – the Principal’s Teaching and Learning Grants. The goal of this new program will be to invest in teaching and learning, and fuel innovation, especially in strategic areas.

“These new grants are not only about funding educational strategies that have an impact at the course-level,” Principal Deane explained. “They’re meant to build on our momentum towards the bigger picture: our impact in society and the world and our work advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

More details about the Principal’s Teaching and Learning Grants will be made available in January. For more information about any of the university-wide teaching awards, please contact principal.awards@queensu.ca.

This story originally appeared in The Gazette.