Western University Celebrates Excellence with 2023-24 Teaching Awards

Recipients of the 2023-24 Western Awards for Excellence in Teaching have been announced, with seven individuals and two collaborative groups being recognized for their “outstanding contributions in the academic development of students.”

The nomination and selection process is overseen by the Senate Committee on University Teaching Awards (SUTA), with the following profiles drawn from submissions across the university.

 

The Edward G. Pleva for Excellence in Teaching

The University Award for Excellence in Teaching was named in honour of Edward Gustav Pleva, Western’s first geography teacher (1938) and head of the department (1948 to 1968). 

 

John Paul Minda, Faculty of Social Science, department of psychology

Described by his colleagues as “one of the most highly effective and accomplished instructors in the faculty,” Paul Minda is known for his dedication to enhancing education through course design and curriculum development.

Minda, who currently serves as the psychology department’s associate chair of undergraduate affairs, is an award-winning lecturer and author of the best-selling textbook The Psychology of Thinking.

In mentoring students, Minda “goes beyond the classroom, guiding them through their academic journeys, helping them navigate challenges and inspiring their pursuit of knowledge.”

 

 

Lauren Tribe, Faculty of Engineering, department of chemical and biochemical engineering

Lauren Tribe believes “engineering is about changing the world.”

Recognized as “a passionate educator who takes a bold approach to teaching,” Tribe is praised for her academic and career mentorship of students, and her attention to “uplifting diverse voices.”

She is also known for being “refreshingly original,” with her ingenuity shining through in her “Engineering Coffee” course, which explores the processes required to create a perfect cup of coffee, while demonstrating the core principles of chemical engineering.

Tribe also developed the study-abroad course Engineering in a Global Context, which integrates technical, business and cultural perspectives.

 

 

Eugene Wong, Faculty of Science, department of physics and astronomy

Eugene Wong’s nomination was initiated by students, speaking to the impact he’s made on thousands of learners for almost 20 years at Western.

Wong believes “learning physics is actually learning about oneself,” and that a classroom should be a space where students shouldn’t fear making mistakes, but instead, learn from them.

His students see him as someone who fosters an open atmosphere where seeking help is encouraged, while Wong calls the growth and development of his students “a pure joy to watch.”

 

The Marilyn Robinson Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented for outstanding contributions in classroom, laboratory or clinical instruction. The award was later named after physiology professor and educational development office coordinator Marilyn Robinson, who prized the idea of students’ active learning and problem-solving.

 

Tiffany Bayley, teaching scholar, Ivey Business School

Tiffany Bayley has developed a reputation for her excellence in teaching, earning accolades for her ability to “break down challenging concepts, making learning accessible.”

Her impact goes well beyond the classroom, as an author of three textbooks, six cases, award-winning journal papers and numerous simulations and digital learning experiences.

Bayley is the organizer and moderator of the Teaching Scholar Seminar Series and the founding president of Ivey’s Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group.

Peers and students recognize “her steadfast commitment to inclusivity, as well as her boundless support, mentoring and career guidance.”

Former students describe Bayley as having a life-changing impact. One writes, “I’ve seen many timid students develop into confident, knowledgeable professionals through the classroom environment Tiffany creates.”

 

 

Tyler Beveridge, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, department of anatomy and cell biology

“What is one thing you really want to learn this semester?”

That’s the question Tyler Beveridge continually asks his students as part of his teaching philosophy.

Whether taking students on his “Magic School Bus” virtual reality multi-player game or teaching trainees through his interactive web application, student engagement and experiential learning are at the forefront of his teaching objectives.

Both students and fellow faculty express awe of “his commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching, his desire to instill a lifelong love of learning, how he compassionately empowers his students with active learning strategies to teach them that ‘failures’ can always be re-contextualized.”

 

 

Maxwell Smith, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Health Studies

In teaching about health policy and policy change, Maxwell Smith engages students to develop new ways of thinking about content they’ve experienced outside the classroom and to critically evaluate contemporary controversies from an ethical perspective.

To model the real world, he encourages students to develop policy briefs using government templates, some of which are submitted to key decision-makers in an attempt to affect real-world change.

Smith’s pedagogical innovations are described as “engaging, relevant and pragmatic,” asking students weekly to identify sticky points of confusion in lectures and in readings.

A graduate student observes, “Dr. Smith represents Western proudly on the global stage, yet still makes time to develop strong personal relationships with students.”

 

The Western Award for Innovations in Technology-Enhanced Teaching

The award for technology-enhanced teaching was created to recognize and reward the contributions of faculty members who have significantly improved the experience and outcomes of their students by incorporating technology into their teaching practice.

 

Paul Mensink, Faculty of Science, department of biology

Imagine taking a 15-minute fully guided tour allowing you to get up close and personal with a giant basking shark. Such is the experience for students in Paul Mensink’s environmental science class, with the help of augmented reality.

Described by his colleagues as a campus leader in technology-enhanced teaching and learning, Mensink is widely recognized for his intentional use of immersive technologies (immersive video, augmented reality, virtual reality) to enhance student learning.

He creatively leverages the power of technology to help students address real-world challenges, such as exploring areas of key environmental importance in Canada.

Most recently, Mensink developed MarineXR, the immersive educational application that places students alongside a giant basking shark. The app also includes a range of interactive learning modules, covering topics such as coral reefs, fisheries, plastic pollution and invasive species. Mensink has made MarineXR openly available on Google Play, the Apple App Store and the eCampus open library.

 

Vice-Provost (Academic Programs) Award for Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning

Designed to recognize and reward the efforts of instructors who have demonstrated outstanding online teaching through exemplary online course design.

 

 

Angela Mendelovici, David Bourget and Christopher Viger, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, department of philosophy

Angela Mendelovici, David Bourget and Christopher Viger are being recognized for developing and delivering the online philosophy course, Reasoning and Critical Thinking.

Nominators praised the course’s student-centered focus on critical thinking, noting diverse opportunities for interaction and support.

The impact of the innovative use of technology was also noted, offering students multiple means of engagement, while meeting the diverse needs of learners.

Students’ letters of support noted the timely and valuable feedback they received, with one participant summarizing their learning experience by saying, “Taking this course was one of the best academic decisions I could have made.”

 

Vice-Provost (Academic Programs) Award for Excellence in Collaborative Teaching

Recognizes instructors whose exemplary collaborations in university teaching enhance student learning.

 

Maatookiiying gaa-miinigoowiziying (Sharing our Gifts): Indigenous Learning Bundles project

Project Lead: Candace Brunette-Debassige, Faculty of Education

Project Collaborators:

Leadership Advisor: Kahente Horn-Miller, Carleton University

Indigenous Knowledge Holder: Liz Akiwenzie

Indigenous Lead Collaborators: Candace Brunette-Debassige, Sara Mai Chitty, Jennifer Komorowski (Toronto Metropolitan University), Erica Neeganagwedgin, Robyn K. Rowe (Queen’s University), Sākihitowin Awāsis, Melissa Schnarr.

Bundles Support Team: Aamir Aman, Abby Chapman, Tammy Johnson, Holly Pichette (Urban Iskwew), Denise Quildon, Jodie Roach, Darr Sands (Sands and Sons), Cindy Smithers Graeme, Liz Warwick

Led by Candace Brunette-Debassige, the Maatookiiying gaa-miinigoowiziying (Sharing our Gifts): Indigenous Learning Bundles project brings together an interdisciplinary team of 17 co-applicants dedicated to addressing the chronic underrepresentation of Indigenous voices in university curricula.

Inspired by the work of Kahente Horn-Miller, a Mohawk scholar who spearheaded Carleton University’s Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles, the goal of Western’s project is to create a digital repository of Indigenous-led teaching resources (referenced as bundles) that are shared with instructors for use in their classrooms.

Each bundle focuses on an Indigenous topic and theme, centered around three to four learning outcomes grounded in Indigenous scholarship, thereby privileging Indigenous knowledges and theories.

To date, the bundles have been used in 67 courses by 52 instructors, with a total of 226 instructors registered to draw on bundles in their courses.

At the heart of this collaborative process is the 7 Principled Indigenous Framework. Collaboratively drafted by the team, this philosophy unifies the group around a common vision which places Indigenous gifting and the 6Rs of respect, relevance, responsibility, reciprocity, relationality and refusal as guiding principles in the design and implementation of bundles.