On June 6, an event was held to celebrate the 2023 Achievement Award recipients.

Hosted by Jerry Tomberlin, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and Rafik Goubran, Vice-President (Research and International), award recipients were recognized for their outstanding research achievements and excellence in teaching.

Pursuing knowledge that can change the world is central to 杏吧原创鈥檚 core mission. 杏吧原创 researchers and instructors are passionate about their work and are dedicated to moving forward together on the important, complex issues of our time.

Although their experiences are diverse, the 2023 award recipients all share a commonality: they motivate people around them to continue learning and play a critical role at 杏吧原创.

We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of this year鈥檚 Achievement Award recipients.

More information about the award recipients is available on the and Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) websites.

The post Celebrating the 2023 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

To All Members of the 杏吧原创 Community,

Please join us in congratulating the recipients of the annual Achievement Awards, which are presented in recognition of the research and teaching distinction of 杏吧原创鈥檚 academic staff.

Pursuing knowledge that can change the world is central to 杏吧原创鈥檚 core mission. 杏吧原创 researchers and instructors are passionate about their work and are dedicated to moving forward together on the important, complex issues of our time. We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of this year鈥檚 award recipients:

Research Achievement Award

• Adrian Chan (Systems and Computer Engineering)
• Kristin Connor (Health Sciences)
• Steven Cooke (Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science; Biology)
• Linda Duxbury (Sprott School of Business)
• Jennifer Evans (History)
• Kelly Fritsch (Sociology and Anthropology)
• Liam O’Brien (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
• Carlos Rossa (Systems and Computer Engineering)
• Stephan Schott (School of Public Policy and Administration)
• Erin Tolley (Political Science)

Teaching Achievement Award

• Manjeet Birk (Feminist Institute of Social Transformation)
• Fran莽ois Brouard (Sprott School of Business)
• Jason Jaskolka (Systems and Computer Engineering)
• Brenda Morris (Social Work)
• Elena Zabolotnii (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Professional Achievement Award

• Jo毛l Rivard (Research Support Services, MacOdrum Library)
• Ahmed Hassan (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Contract Instructor Teaching Award

• Ryan Conrad (Feminist Institute of Social Transformation)
• Said Yaqub Ibrahimi (Political Science)
• Tiffany MacLellan (Law and Legal Studies)
• Kate Pardoel (Psychology)
• Ahmad Teymouri (Sprott School of Business)

More information about the award recipients is available on the and Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) websites.

Thank you to the award selection committees for their contributions to this important process. As in previous years, they faced a challenging task, as the award nominees and their accomplishments are truly impressive.

Sincerely,

Jerry Tomberlin
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Rafik Goubran
Vice-President (Research and International)

The post Announcing 杏吧原创鈥檚 2023 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

The post 2022 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

The following awards are administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and recognize outstanding teaching achievements:

Teaching Achievement Award
Professional Achievement Award
Contract Instructor Teaching Award
Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation Grant

Recipients of the Research Achievement Award are listed on the .

Teaching Achievement Award

The Teaching Achievement Awards are intended to enhance the teaching of their recipients and the quality of instruction at 杏吧原创.

Onita Basu

Associate Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design

Developing Critical Analysis Skills and Compassion Through a WASH Based Approach to Capstone Design Projects in Engineering

Development of engineers with a global mindset will enable 杏吧原创 trained engineering students to share their skills and knowledge with compassion and caring to help shape a brighter future for our planet. This program engages students to support work in developing nations and marginalized communities to foster cross cultural awareness while enhancing their applied skill sets. Students will participate in real projects in water and wastewater that will have tangible outcomes based on genuine needs propelling them towards excellent global citizenship. Currently, Dr. Basu has grassroots projects in Ecuador and Tanzania.

V茅ronic B茅zaire

Instructor III
Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Program-level ePortfolios in Chemistry: From Learning Outcome Assessment to Pedagogy

This project integrates reflective pedagogy with program assessment of learning outcomes using 杏吧原创鈥檚 cuPortfolio. In identified checkpoint courses, students will perform cuPortfolio assignments designed to reflect holistically on one鈥檚 learning and achievement of program learning outcomes.  This annual reflective exercise will increase student awareness of skills and competencies and help develop a professional identity during degree programs. cuPortfolios will facilitate assessment of program learning outcomes and support program improvement efforts.

Augustine Park

Associate Professor
Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Exploring the Experiences of Black, Indigenous and Racialized Graduate Students as Teachers and Learners

This project explores the experiences of graduate students who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of colour (BIPOC) within the context of ongoing racialized disparity in Canadian universities. Examining their dual roles as both learners and teachers, the project will compare the experiences of students in social sciences and humanities with the experiences of students in STEM disciplines. Privileging the perspective of BIPOC graduate students, the project will generate ideas to improve their experiences.

Marylynn Steckley

Instructor III
Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, Faculty of Public Affairs

Global Engagement Starts at Home

Experiential learning is a priority across universities in Canada, and many programs aim to provide international options. But overseas internships are pricey, out of reach for those with ability challenges, associated with high carbon footprints, and often benefit students more than hosts. 杏吧原创鈥檚 Strategic plan advocates international opportunities, community-engagement, and environmental sustainability. My teaching is geared to improving international, experiential learning courses that are eco-friendly, and prioritize equity, diversity and inclusion.

Andrew Webb

Assistant Professor
Sprott School of Business

Student-driven service learning at the Sprott Student Consulting Group

The aim of this teaching development project is to build on the success of the Sprott Student Consulting Group (SSCG) by designing and implementing a new student-led management team for the . This initiative, when completed, will provide high impact management learning opportunities by giving more control over learning directly to students and will effectively create what will be, to my knowledge, a unique and cutting edge student-driven service-learning program.

Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Awards recognize outstanding professional achievements at 杏吧原创 University for professional librarians and instructors.

Jennifer Browning

Discovery Systems Librarian
Library Technology Services, MacOdrum Library

Jennifer governs the staff library services platform and end-user discovery through Omni. She is 杏吧原创’s Implementation Lead in the OCUL Collaborative Futures consortium and has played a key role in the library鈥檚 migration to Omni. Her research pursuits include continuous learning for staff and the influence of library technologies on policy and workplace culture. Jennifer returned to 杏吧原创 in 2018 after working at the University of Toronto Libraries as a Metadata Librarian for Electronic Resources.

Deborah Conners

Instructor I
Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Bringing my community development expertise to 杏吧原创 has led to a challenging and exciting first four years of teaching using experiential and community-engaged methodologies. I have been delighted to find a valued place for this expertise in leading-edge academic pedagogies. The translation of this knowledge to the university setting has engendered a deep learning process as we develop the templates for this translation and create powerful opportunities for student learning.

Patti Harper

Librarian IV
Department Head, Research Support Services, MacOdrum Library

I began my career at 杏吧原创, 22 years ago, as an archivist in the Corporate Archives with a brief foray as the FIPPA Assistant. I joined the library in 2008 as the Head of Archives and Research Collections, before becoming Head of Research Support Services in 2017. Collaboration has been the key to many of my professional milestones. I have had the opportunity to work on several rewarding projects and events at 杏吧原创; the 75^th Anniversary book, beginning the Asian Ugandan Archives, historical walking tours, Heritage Passages a Virtual Museum of Canada project and recently the completion of the Book Arts Lab in the Library. This lab will position the library in academic experiential opportunities in all areas of book arts. This project allowed me to work with several faculty, students, library staff and community organizations to ensure the lab is equipped for unique book arts opportunities on campus.

Brenda Morris

Instructor III
Social Work, Faculty of Public Affairs

Supporting students in the virtual classroom to develop social work practice skills, competencies and critical thinking relating to interpersonal practice, Brenda aims to build pedagogical tools grounded in social work鈥檚 commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These learning experiences seek to extend students鈥� previously held understanding of social work with individuals and families in light of new ideas, concepts, knowledge, theories, demonstrations and ways of engaging practice in the online environment.

Mike Murphy

Instructor II
Linguistics and Language Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Mike has taught in the English as a Second Language-Academic (ESLA) program since 2017. He is passionate about helping international students gain the language proficiency and academic study skills they need to excel in their degree programs and to enrich the 杏吧原创 community with their unique and diverse points of view. He is collaborating with colleagues in ESLA, Applied Linguistics, and Research Computing Services to build software that will help teachers select course readings and identify high-priority study words based on ongoing research into ESLA student vocabulary knowledge.

Danette Nearing-Guibord

Instructor III
Criminology and Criminal Justice, Faculty of Public Affairs

I have been the Field Placement Co-ordinator and Instructor for the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program for the past 13 years. My teaching is guided in the core values of care, respect, and student engagement. Through their field placement and the seminar class, students learn to apply theory to practice. My classroom is engaging, where students share their placement experiences, learn from experts in the field, and discuss current issues in criminal justice. This course has been truly transformational for many students and I feel a deep satisfaction in being able to provide them with learning opportunities that will guide them in their career choices.

Shazia Sadaf

Instructor II
Interdisciplinary Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

My teaching is broadly driven by the belief that the study of world literatures is an effective tool for bridging the global divide between cultures and ideologies and can be a catalyst for positive change. By extension, one of my goals as an instructor of human rights is to expose the dangers of ethnocentric ideas and promote the importance of narrative texts from regions with a colonial history that are significant players in the future of a collective global imaginary.

Contract Instructor Teaching Award

The Contract Instructor Teaching Awards recognize teaching excellence by Contract Instructors.

Brittney Bos

Contract Instructor
Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

I always remind learners: I鈥檓 formally listed as your instructor, but I鈥檓 actually your feminist educator who is here to share knowledge and resources, and facilitate discussions centred on your experiences by providing support along your learning journey. I intertwine numerous related theories and methodologies into the classroom to break power structures. Through innovative assignments and experiential class discussions, I encourage engagement with 鈥渞eal world鈥� scenarios and present materials in accessible language for all learners.

Jay Ramasubramanyam

Contract Instructor
Law and Legal Studies, Faculty of Public Affairs

As an instructor I strive to integrate literature on colonial legacies and colonial traumas in my pedagogical interventions. This has taken the form of designing content that challenges tradition and creates solidarities across marginalized communities, which are both necessary and stimulating. This enables me to effectively introduce social issues and issues of racial justice to reconstitute knowledge sharing and make steps towards correcting the unequal power dynamics that impact everyday academic interactions.

Andrew Robinson

Contract Instructor
Physics, Faculty of Science

I am interested in science pedagogy, and the historical development of science, and maintain a very interdisciplinary approach to my teaching. I try to reach out to the class by showing them where physics is useful to them in everyday life, and in their particular fields of study and interest. I also try to support students, as they transition from high school, to the university learning environment.

Bruce Wallace

Contract Instructor
Systems and Computing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design

As Executive Director of the AGEWELL SAM³ Hub, I research applications of sensors, signal processing and artificial intelligence to create solutions that enable independence for aging adults. Allowing them to age in place and have active, socially engaged lives. As a contract instructor, I enjoy supporting the success of students as they learn new and sometimes difficult concepts that provide them with the tools to move into careers and also build solutions that help others.

Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation Grant

The purpose of the CITI grant is to provide support to a Contract Instructor for investigating student learning and alternative approaches to teaching and assessing student learning at the individual, departmental, Faculty, or institutional levels. The overall aims are to foster deep student learning at 杏吧原创 University and promote curiosity, reflection, and exploration in the areas of teaching and learning.

Ahmad Hemami

Contract Instructor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design

Students minds can easily glide away during a lecture. This project intends to enhance student learning by making him/her more attentive to the subject matter and less distracted. The idea is to replace lectures by computer-based projects, through which the student grasps the material by analysis or answering a set of questions, carefully designed for this purpose. Each project leads a student, step by step, to the expected facts, formula or procedure to be learnt.

Kathleen Moss, Ph.D

Contract Instructor
Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

The grant will be used to redesign SOCI 3300 to incorporate innovative online learning modules and experiential learning through course content, student assessments, and learning outcomes. What makes this course innovative is the course design in which digital tools such as the FUSION curriculum will be integrated which reinforce skill development, the applicability of our experiential learning project, and facilitates deeper learning. The FUSION curriculum offers sociology students the opportunity to increase their knowledge in effective learning styles, and to assist with creating a career portfolio and teaching philosophy, which are all necessary and relevant qualities for pre B.Ed. students.

The post 2021 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

The following awards are administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and recognize outstanding teaching achievements:

Teaching Achievement Award
Professional Achievement Award
Contract Instructor Teaching Award

Recipients of the Research Achievement Award are listed on the .

Teaching Achievement Award

The are intended to enhance the teaching of their recipients and the quality of instruction at 杏吧原创.

Gr茅gory Bult茅

Instructor III
Biology, Faculty of Science

Out of your shell and into the field: Opportunities in wildlife biology through turtle research on campus and beyond

This project will allow students enrolled in BIOL3505 and BIOL4502 to develop and perfect marketable skills in wildlife biology by contributing to actual field research on the conservation of local turtles. The Teaching Achievement Award will help sustain student-driven turtle monitoring programs and will make these programs more accessible for years to come. Turtles are ideally suited for such project and the data collected by students will help with their conservation.

Rishad Irani

Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design

Shoebox Dynamics

Shoebox Dynamics is a cost-effective lab kit solution for large classes. They allow students to personally interact with engineering hardware and perform experiments. The kits, approximately the size of a shoebox, and the corresponding experimental learning modules allow students to explore various dynamic effects while developing critical thinking skills. The kits will be designed at the university so that in the future, they can easily be modified for other experiments or scenarios for experimental learning.

Rowan Thomson

Associate Professor
Physics, Faculty of Science

Physics Heroes: Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Physics Heroes project will integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into the physics curriculum through student-centred and creative activities. Students will undertake self-directed learning about innovation and research towards identifying a Physics Hero. These non-disposable (oral, video, written, artistic) assignments will be used to build an online gallery to raise visibility of diverse contributions in physics. This integrative learning activity will support students’ personal expression of values and their development of a physics identity.

Brenda Vellino

Associate Professor
English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Literary Ecological Fieldwork: An Environmental Humanities Experiential Learning Experiment

Based on a newly approved course in Literary Ecological Fieldwork, this project seeks to draw together scientific and literary study with fieldwork and contemplative pedagogy practices through a hybrid model of learning in both the classroom and local urban ecosystems on unceded Algonquin territories where Ottawa is situated. Offered over a six-year period, this course will test whether and how student encounters with flora, fauna, and watersheds through contemplative reading and attentive bioregional observation will enhance planetary citizenship and engagement.

Deanna Whelan

Instructor II
Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

A Reengineered Statistics Course in Psychology: Refining and Scaling for Distribution

Statistics is generally one of the most stressful and challenging courses of FASS degrees. The project redesigned a statistics course to lower stress and anxiety surrounding learning statistics while increasing mastery of material. A variety of tools were developed including online videos and experiential learning activities. The new blended course format showed significant promise and thus, refining to the design and adjustments for scaling for distribution are the new focus.

Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Awards recognize outstanding professional achievements at 杏吧原创 University for and .

Edward Bilodeau

Department Head
Library Technology Services, MacOdrum Library

Edward joined 杏吧原创 in 2018 as the head of the Library Technology Services department. During that time he was also responsible for leading the implementation the new library services platform, Omni. In November 2019, Edward was appointed Associate University Librarian, Technology and Content Services. Prior to 杏吧原创, Edward was an Associate Librarian at McGill University, first in Digital Initiatives and later the liaison librarian supporting the Desautels Faculty of Management.

Mayurika Chakravorty

Instructor I
English Language and Literature; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

I teach in the Department of English and the Childhood and Youth Studies Program at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies. In the wide range of courses that I teach, I am guided by three core principles, viz. globalizing the curriculum in order to enhance cultural literacy; pedagogy of empathy both as a strategy of instruction and a learning outcome; and experiential learning based on critical thinking and reflection.

Brandon Fodden

Instructor II
Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science

When I teach, I aim to share my love of mathematics with all my students, whether they are majoring in the subject, or are students from outside of the Faculty of Science taking a pre-calculus course. I act as their guide as we experience the material together. I seek to share with my students a story that includes not only the mathematical results, but also the reasons for their development and the history of the subject.

Sonia Gulati

Instructor I
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science

I joined the new and growing Department of Health Sciences in 2016. I teach mainly in the Global Health and Disability & Chronic Illness Concentrations. I am also responsible for facilitating field placements locally, nationally, and internationally for students. I value being in a position that provides me the opportunity to work with students to shape the learning environment and explore contemporary health issues. As an educator, I am interested in curriculum design, classroom instruction, and experiential learning.

Heather MacDonald

Health and Biosciences Librarian
Research Support Services, MacOdrum Library

Heather has a background in biology and health. After working for 15 years in research laboratories, she switched gears completing her MLIS in 2010. She worked at University of Ottawa before arriving at 杏吧原创. Heather also works with the Knowledge Translation program at St Mikes Hospital. Heather’s research interests include the application of knowledge synthesis methodologies in different disciplines, active learning using systematic reviews, research data management and data sharing.

Andrew Webb

Instructor III
Sprott School of Business

Project-based Service Learning

The program aims to get students out of the classroom and working with partner organizations on live business projects. Through this initiative, students work in interdisciplinary teams to solve real problems for business and community organizations. Project based service learning is an excellent way for students to acquire practical experience, expand their networks, enhance their management and leadership skills, and help the university expand relationships in the community and beyond.

Contract Instructor Teaching Awards

The recognize teaching excellence by Contract Instructors.

Jamie Brownlee

Contract Instructor
Law and Legal Studies, Faculty of Public Affairs; Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Jamie Brownlee completed his PhD in sociology and political economy at 杏吧原创 University, where he teaches and conducts research in the areas of Canadian and international political economy, the sociology of education, corporate crime, environmental politics and climate change, and access to information law. He has published two books and two edited volumes, as well as 11 academic journal articles and book chapters. His current work focuses on the political economy of Canada’s fossil fuel industry.

Lyette Fortin

Contract Instructor, Adjunct Professor
Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Engineering and Design

My interest in teaching architectural conservation is to instill in students the importance of understanding, defining and respecting heritage and cultural values of our environment with the goal of intervening, in an ethical manner, to protect these values. Through the course, students can appreciate that conservation has realistic application in their academic design projects and in their future professional career where conservation is a valid sustainable approach to address society’s changing needs, respect inherent values, and add meaningful, creative layers to our built environment.

Ariel Fuenzalida

Contract Instructor
Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

I bring to my teaching a passion for ideas and a love of learning. My teaching approach encourages students to observe and to be curious about the social worlds they inhabit. The courses that I teach for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology introduce students to social theory by way of focusing on core concepts that develop critical thinking skills that will allow students to better navigate the complexities of contemporary social life.

Robert Helal

Contract Instructor
Sprott School of Business

Robert Helal teaches marketing and strategic management at the graduate and undergraduate levels. In the classroom, he strives to develop his students鈥� critical-thinking skills by blending management theory with industry and research experience. Robert draws on a range of experiential learning methods to fit the needs of each of his classes. With an emphasis on answering the 鈥淪o what?鈥�, Robert helps students to connect the relevance of business concepts through a systems-perspective. Above all, his students are encouraged to express their thoughts, and to trust their intuition developed through study and preparation.

Ashley Thompson

Contract Instructor
Neuroscience, Faculty of Science

Ashley Thompson has been an instructor in the Neuroscience department since 2017, teaching large first-year introductory courses as well as the fourth year Honours workshop. In both courses, she has innovated the design and delivery of material using high impact practices and deliberate strategies to enhance student learning. Recently, she has begun a study in the Honours workshop, investigating how certain pedagogical approaches can foster resilience and promote good mental health in her fourth-year students.

The post 2020 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the Achievement Awards

The following awards are administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and recognize outstanding teaching achievements. Recipients of the Research Achievement Award are listed on the .

Teaching Achievement Award
Professional Achievement Award
Contract Instructor Teaching Award
Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation Grant

The Teaching Achievement Awards are intended to enhance the teaching of their recipients and the quality of instruction at 杏吧原创.

听 听	Jeff Dawson Associate Professor, Biology, Faculty of Science Andy Adler Canada Research Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Systems and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design Instrumentation for Human Performance – Instructional Modules for Interdisciplinary Collaborative Student-Centred Learning Instrumentation for measuring and improving human performance is becoming ubiquitous, whether for sport, rehabilitation or lifestyle. Effectively using and interpreting data from these devices, however, is inherently a multi-disciplinary challenge requiring knowledge spanning several disciplines. This award will realize a suite of student-centred modules that bring biology and engineering students together to work collaboratively on student-generated, authentic, research questions. The modules will facilitate new (or enhance current) courses by giving students real-world, practical, skills.
	Cheryl Harasymchuk Associate Professor, Psychology Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Using Research Design in Psychology to Promote Experiential Learning in First Year Seminars This project will increase experiential learning in First Year Seminars in the Department of Psychology through the creation of a level-appropriate research design project. More specifically, the current proposal involves a year-long, group-based, research design project that focuses on the front-end of the psychology research process (e.g., design and ethical considerations) using templates (i.e., common research designs and essential articles) and assessment criteria created from this proposal.
听 听	Kahente Horn-Miller Assistant Professor, Indigenous and Canadian Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles The Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles address the TRC recommendation for post-secondary institutions to increase the integration of Indigenous knowledge and teaching into the classroom. These bundles are a collection of online modules produced and delivered by Indigenous experts and are a resource for instructors that provide the necessary factual and theoretical basis for understanding Indigenous issues, while also prompting students to consider how this knowledge might be applied in their area of study.
	Michael Windover Associate Professor, Studies in Art and Culture, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Peter Coffman Associate Professor, Studies in Art and Culture, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The Virtual Museum of Architecture in Ottawa The Virtual Museum of Architecture in Ottawa will provide an opportunity for undergraduate students in the History and Theory of Architecture Program to develop and showcase their research, interpretive and communication skills as they contribute to a collection of multimedia “artefacts” about the region鈥檚 architecture and “curate” histories using them. The project will be integrated into the program鈥檚 core second- and third-year courses, a dedicated fourth-year seminar, and will produce a publicly accessible research resource.
	Benjamin Woo Assistant Professor Journalism and Communication, Faculty of Public Affairs Does Specifications Grading Add Up? Evaluating Alternative Approaches in University Assessment What does a grade mean? There is increasing concern that traditional grades don鈥檛 measure meaningful learning. In her 2015 book, Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time, Linda B. Nilson suggests a new approach to assessment that promises to give students greater agency and responsibility in their learning. Over the next two years, I will convene a group of colleagues to pilot this novel approach to assessment and report back to the University community.

Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Awards recognize outstanding professional achievements at 杏吧原创 University for and .

	Martha Attridge Bufton Librarian II, Interdisciplinary Studies Librarian, Research Support Services MacOdrum Library Martha Attridge Bufton engages in and supports innovative teaching, learning and research practices at 杏吧原创 University. In her role as a librarian and information literacy teacher, she actively seeks to understand learning processes and apply this knowledge to on-going initiatives that use high impact practices in both face-to-face and online learning environments. Her work, at 杏吧原创 and within the provincial, national and international library communities, also reflects a deep professional commitment to enacting the core library values of access to information and intellectual freedom by responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) calls to action in support of building respectful relationships with First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit peoples鈥攐n campus and with Indigenous communities.
	Erika Banski Librarian IV, Cataloguing, Metadata, and Digitization MacOdrum Library OCUL Collaborative Futures Project My work in the Collaborative Futures Project of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) focuses on the implementation of a new online Library Services Platform, Alma, by a consortium of 13 university libraries in Ontario, including 杏吧原创 University Library. My involvement at 杏吧原创, as a member of the Library鈥檚 Implementation Team, is to lead the work of the Cataloguing, Metadata, and Digitization Department in upgrading and standardizing bibliographic, holdings, and item records to achieve metadata inter-operability for the data migration and going live phases. At the provincial level, as a member of the OCUL CF Metadata Management and Standards Subcommittee, I participate in the development of shared policies and procedures for metadata creation and management.
	Robert Collier Instructor II Computer Science, Faculty of Science Procedural Generation of Assignments for Computer Science The procedural assignment generator project began as an effort to combat unauthorized collaboration in the introductory courses of the School of Computer Science. By developing algorithms that can describe specific activities, identification numbers can be used as sources of pseudorandom data for procedural generation. This will ensure that assignments share the same level of difficulty (while minimizing the probability of duplicate questions) and automatic marking programs can be used to ensure the consistency of assessment.
	Erica Fraser Instructor II History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Blended and Experiential Learning in First-Year Course Development My  project aims to redesign HIST 1002 (Twentieth Century Europe) in order to better incorporate a.) blended learning and the 鈥渇lipped鈥� classroom, and b.) experiential learning through research and skills workshops. Redesigning the lecture hours of the course to prioritize blended and experiential learning will allow students to access multimedia components on their own time and spend classroom time with guest workshop facilitators cultivating hands-on research tools that will serve them well in their careers. While these are more common techniques in upper level classes, they can also benefit first-year students. Blended and experiential learning requires careful scaffolding for these students, however, as they are still learning the ropes of time management, self-directed study, and university-level engagement with texts.
	Kim Hellemans Instructor III Neuroscience, Faculty of Science An animation on the Epigenetics of Psychiatric Disease For my teaching development project, I would like to produce a new 5-minute animation on epigenetics. Essentially, this video would demonstrate how environmental events impact genes and genetic vulnerability to psychiatric illness. This video would be a key tool in teaching a fundamental concept in neuroscience, that would benefit students from 1st to 4th year and beyond. Critically, this video would also be available to the public as it would be hosted on the 杏吧原创 University YouTube channel.
	Marylynn Steckley Instructor II Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, Faculty of Public Affairs Marylynn Steckley teaches in Global and International Studies, and is a critical geographer by training. Her teaching is guided by her intellectual background in the field of political ecology, and her passion to enliven her students to engage meaningfully in confronting global inequality. Marylynn Steckley aims to create engaging classrooms, to be present for her students, and to challenge students to apply what their learnings to the question: how shall I be in this world?
	Nigel Waltho Instructor III Biology, Faculty of Science Canadian Scientific Research Diver 鈥� a 杏吧原创 Project As a coral reef ecologist who teaches scuba-based research field courses in the Bahamas it’s becoming increasingly evident that our Undergraduate and Graduate certified divers are poorly trained to partake in research diving. With the aid of this award 杏吧原创 University is moving into position to lead all Ontario universities in producing a new 2陆 week Canadian Scientific Diver research field course. This award will help address Federal Laws and the Canadian Association of Underwater Scientists requirements for research dive training.

The Contract Instructor Teaching Awards recognize teaching excellence by Contract Instructors.

	Robert Helal Contract Instructor Sprott School of Business Robert Helal is an Adjunct Research Professor with the Sprott School of Business, teaching Marketing and Strategic Management at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Robert brings to his students a passion to illuminate management theory in the context of business practice. He draws upon over 20 years of international business experience in new product management, research in collaborative innovation, and the use of experiential learning methods to help students strengthen their theory-based critical-thinking skills.
	Gerry Kanter Contract Instructor Industrial Design, Faculty of Engineering and Design My teaching philosophy falls in line with that of professor Henry Mintzberg鈥檚 approach, allowing students to learn at their own pace, reflecting on the course material to develop their own theories about the world. In other words, I want them not just to pick up a useful set of software skills, but also encourage them to ask questions and evaluate what is behind the design and evolution of emerging technologies.
	Tiffany MacLellan Contract Instructor Law and Legal Studies, Faculty of Public Affairs My courses encourage students to perform interdisciplinary examinations of the relationship between law and politics, paying particular attention to the ways in which states attempt to account for mass atrocity. As such, students are invited to turn to traditional empirical sources frequently leveraged in legal studies, as well as non-traditional sources like aesthetic and spatial sites, to grapple with important problems that underlie public international law and theories of transitional justice. I am committed to generating educational experiences within and beyond the walls of the classroom, as demonstrated by incorporating 杏吧原创 University Art Gallery exhibition material to illuminate important themes that emerge in my course鈥檚 readings.
	Zahra Montazeri Contract Instructor Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science As a contract instructor for the past 15 years I have been fortunate in using the latest techniques in imparting knowledge to my students. I use Big Blue Button in CuLearn to facilitate scheduled/unscheduled office hours, a document camera along with symbolic software for experiential activities that reinforce understanding, and hybrid activities such as after class time limited online quizzes with real datasets allowing for many interpretations of the output.
	Hugh Reid Contract Instructor English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences At the risk of sounding somewhat na茂ve, I would say that my teaching interests are in getting students to see, experience, and understand new ideas, whether they be by perceiving the similarities of people depicted by Chaucer over 600 years ago or by holding and examining an eighteenth-century text in the Archives and Special Collections at 杏吧原创.

The purpose of the Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation Grant is to provide support to a Contract Instructor for investigating student learning and alternative approaches to teaching and assessing student learning at the individual, departmental, Faculty, or institutional levels. The overall aims are to foster deep student learning at 杏吧原创 University and promote curiosity, reflection, and exploration in the areas of teaching and learning.

Milica Stojmenovic Contract Instructor Computer Science, Faculty of Science Helping Students by Helping Teaching Assistants: Testing the Effectiveness of iPads This grant will enable the study of the effect of iPad use on the effectiveness and efficiency of Teaching Assistant (TAs), and the subsequent effects on student learning in Discrete Structures (COMP1805). Given the ongoing growth trends in student enrollment in Computer Science – which means larger classrooms and an accompanying larger overhead – there is a pressing need to study new ways of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and assessment methods.

The post 2019 Achievement Award Recipients appeared first on Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).