April 26, 2023

2023 Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Awards winners announced

Campus-wide recognition program gives undergrads the chance to honour and thank exceptional instructors, professors, and teaching assistants
Saied Jalal Aboodarda, Loïc Million, Raylene Jessica Dunn, and Chantel Aurora Large
From left: Saied Jalal Aboodarda, Loïc Million, Raylene Jessica Dunn, and Chantel Aurora Large. Gene Baines, Students' Union

The Students’ Union (SU) announced earlier this month the professors, instructors, and teaching assistants being honoured through the SU’s annual Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA). Awards and honourable mentions were given to 40 exceptional members of the university community to highlight their commitment to student success over the past academic year.

The annual TEA is the SU’s campus-wide recognition program giving undergraduate students the chance to honour and thank those instructors, professors, and teaching assistants who have supported and made a lasting and positive impression on their students. Students solely determine all nominees and winners.

Not only did the educators being honoured navigate the challenges of the year with grace, but they also committed to going above and beyond to support and prioritize students. The impact that this year’s winners have made in student lives does not go unnoticed and it is a privilege to be able to recognize their hard work with this year’s teaching excellence awards.

The SU received at total of 980 nominations and shortlisted 94 educators. Award winners received an Apple Award and a framed certificate. The SU will also donate $5,000 to the Taylor Centre for Teaching and Learning in recognition of the contributions made by the award winners.

The SU has been honouring teaching excellence at UCalgary since 1975, with the current format of TEA beginning in 1984. From the start, the awards were intended to give undergraduate students the opportunity to provide feedback on the quality of the university instruction they receive.

Learn more about the SU TEA program.

Teaching Excellence Award winners

  • Cumming School of Medicine: Alan Martino
  • Cumming School of Medicine: Patrick F. Lee
  • Faculty of Arts: K. Sélom Gbanou
  • Faculty of Arts: Loïc Million
  • Faculty of Arts: Safaneh Mohaghegh Neyshabouri
  • Faculty of Arts: Tricia Stadnyk
  • Faculty of Arts: Rod T. Squance
  • Faculty of Kinesiology: Saied Jalal Aboodarda
  • Faculty of Law: Maureen T. Duffy
  • Faculty of Nursing: Cydnee Seneviratne
  • Faculty of Science: Kori Czuy
  • Faculty of Science: Thi Dinh
  • Faculty of Science: Jerrod M. Smith
  • Faculty of Social Work: Chantel Aurora Large
  • Haskayne School of Business: Anne E Kleffner
  • Haskayne School of Business: Justin Weinhardt
  • Schulich School of Engineering: Maryam Badv
  • Schulich School of Engineering: Emmanuel Stefanakis
  • Werklund School of Education: Harrison Campbell
  • Veterinary Medicine: Ning Cheng

Teaching assistant winners

  • Mannat Bansal
  • Adam Bass
  • Austin Che
  • Raylene Jessica Dunn
  • Andrew Henderson
  • Tanisha Henry
  • Omid Khajehdehi
  • Danika Lipman
  • Hannah Porter
  • Rounak Uppal

Honourable mention award

  • Dinu S. Attalage
  • Leigh Gabel
  • Randolph (Randy) Head
  • Janna Klostermann
  • Justin Knibbe
  • Erin McFarlane
  • Eric S. Myers
  • Eve Robinson
  • Stephen MacGregor
  • Jason Stein

Sign up for UToday

Sign up for UToday

Delivered to your inbox — a daily roundup of news and events from across the University of Calgary's 14 faculties and dozens of units

Thank you for your submission.