Each year, teaching awards at Queen’s University are conferred to educators and staff who have excelled in fostering innovative, interesting, and inclusive learning environments.

In particular, the past year has been particularly challenging for the university’s instructors as the majority of programs and courses had to be switched to remote formats in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when collaboration is more important than ever, this year’s Teaching Awards Celebration will bring together recipients from the various teaching awards that are given out by sponsors including the Principal, Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning), School of Graduate Studies, Queen’s University Alumni Association, as well as the Alma Mater Society (AMS) and the Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).

It marks the first time in Queen’s 23-year history of the teaching awards that the event will be a truly university-wide sponsored celebration. The event will be hosted online due to COVID-19 restrictions, on Wednesday, March 24, starting at 4:30 pm.

“This year, we combine our efforts as staff, administrators, undergraduate students, graduate students/teaching fellows, and alumni to confer all the university-wide teaching awards together and to celebrate the remarkable efforts and achievements in a teaching and learning environment like no other,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. “While this will be a virtual celebration, we all look forward to the day when we can celebrate together in person.”

Celebrate together

The celebration will stream via "Live Premiere" on the Office of the Principal’s YouTube channel at 4:30 pm on March 24, and will remain available afterwards for those unable to attend.

Members of the Queen’s community are encouraged to join the YouTube broadcast while it is streaming, and share the link with any colleagues, family, or friends who might be interested. No registration is required.

The Live Chat function will be enabled to allow attendees to join the celebration of teaching conversation, and to congratulate the award recipients. These congratulations will remain in the comments on the video, after the broadcast.

During the celebration of the university-wide awards, faculty and departmental teaching award recipients will also be honoured and will be listed in the program and at the end of the ceremony.  A teaching awards directory is available on the Centre for Teaching and Learning website.

AWARD WINNERS

AMS Awards

Christopher Knapper Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance
• 2019-20 Richard Patenaude, Department of Political Studies
• Fall 2020 Josh Zacks, Department of Chemical Engineering

Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award
• 2019-20 Bhavin Shastri, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy
• 2019-20 Carolyn Smart, Department of English Language and Literature
• Fall 2020  Matthias Spitzmuller, Smith School of Business

Frank Knox Award
• 2019-20 Stéphanie Martel, Department of Political Studies
• Fall 2020 Stephanie Lind, Dan School of Drama and Music

Society of Graduate and Professional Students Awards

SGPS Teaching Assistant/Teaching Fellow Award
• 2019-20 Taylor J. Smith, School of Computing

SGPS John G. Freeman Faculty Excellence Award
• 2019-20 Shobhana Xavier, School of Religion

Principal’s Teaching and Learning Awards

Indigenous Education Award (sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning)
• 2020 Lindsay Morcom, Faculty of Education
• 2020 Melanie Howard, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
• 2021 Armand Ruffo, Department of English Language and Literature

Michael Condra Outstanding Student Service Award (sponsored by the Office of Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs)
• 2020 Joan Jones, Housing and Ancillary Services
• 2021 Lisa Webb, Student Affairs, Ban Righ Centre

Promoting Student Inquiry Award (sponsored by the Queen’s Library)
• 2020 Una D’Elia, Art History and Art Conservation
• 2021 Asha Varadharajan, Department of English Language and Literature

Educational Technology Award (sponsored by Information Technology Services)
• 2020 Ryan Martin, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy
• 2021 Christian Muise, School of Computing
• 2021 Mohammad Auais, School of Rehabilitation Therapy (Team)
• 2021 Nancy Dalgarno, Office of Professional Development & Educational Scholarship (Team)
• 2021 Julie Cameron, School of Rehabilitation Therapy (Team)
• 2021 Jennifer Turnnidge, Office of Professional Development & Educational Scholarship (Team)
• 2021 Lucie Pelland, School of Rehabilitation Therapy (Team)
• 2021 Klodiana Kolomitro, Office of Professional Development & Educational Scholarship (Team)

International Education Innovation Award (sponsored by Office of the Vice-Provost (International))
• 2021 Isabelle Brent, Bader International Study Centre
• 2020 Jennifer Hosek, Languages, Literatures and Cultures

School of Graduate Studies

Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision
• 2020 Liying Cheng, Faculty of Education
• 2020 Mark Stephen Diederichs, Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering

Queen’s University Alumni Association

Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching Assistance
• 2019 Holly Ogden, Faculty of Education
• 2020 Anne Petitjean, Department of Chemistry

Office of the Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning)

Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award
• 2020 Wendy Powley, School of Computing
Wendy Powley is an associate professor in the Faculty of Arts and Science’s School of Computing, where she has taught for more than years. In her work at Queen’s (which has also included teaching with the Faculty of Education and Arts and Science Online), she has consistently demonstrated excellence in instruction and innovation, leadership, collaboration, and the linking of research with teaching. In courses spanning the undergraduate experience, Powley has deeply impacted student learning with thoughtful course designs, substantial curricular development, and important program coordination. She serves as a department leader in teaching with numerous service roles and mentorship of colleagues, both before and during the shift to remote teaching prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also demonstrated a commitment to equity through her work encouraging women in computing in professional and community organizations alike. Powley’s commitment to teaching and learning is an inspiration to students, faculty, and staff at Queen’s and beyond

• 2021 Claire Davies, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Claire Davies is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Since coming to Queen’s in 2015, she has consistently fostered a supportive environment for undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning, emphasizing interdisciplinary, experiential, and project-based learning. Dr. Davies has demonstrated a commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and connecting research and teaching through courses that leverage academic resources and her own Building and Designing Assistive Technology Lab to meet assistive technology needs in the community. Through numerous research studies on her blended and active learning teaching strategies, Dr. Davies has deeply impacted student learning at Queen’s and beyond. It is clear that in teaching, research, and service at Queen’s and in her professional discipline, Dr. Davies achieves her own goal of leading by example.

(Note: Any 2020-21 award recipients who were not chosen in time to be part of this ceremony, will be invited to next year’s event.)

Other celebration contributors:
In addition to the conferring of the above awards, there will be special contributions to the 2021 Teaching Awards Celebration by:
• Kanonhsyonne Jan Hill, Director, Office of Indigenous Issues
• Wendy Powley, 2020 Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award Recipient
• Claire Davies, 2021 Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award Recipient
• Mark Green, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)