Recipients reflect on what a University of Calgary Teaching Award means to them

Education shapes us and makes us who we are. But how do we, in turn, shape teaching and learning and create positive change for post-secondary education?

Over the past 10  years, the University of Calgary Teaching Awards have celebrated the teaching excellence of educators in diverse roles across our campuses. I asked 14 past recipients about the impact of receiving a Teaching Award — personally and professionally. This is Part 1 of a two-part series, featuring winners from 2014 to 2019. Each of these outstanding educators demonstrates excellence, dedication, innovation and leadership in teaching and learning at UCalgary and beyond.

*Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Meadow Schroeder

Werklund School of Education
Award for Teaching in Online Environments, 2014

Q: At the time of your Teaching Award(s), what was your role? 
A: Instructor and academic co-ordinator of two blended master’s programs in educational psychology

Q: What is your current role at the university? 
A: Associate professor in educational psychology and the graduate program director for educational psychology

Q: What is one thing you've learned about the practice of teaching and/or learning since your award?
A: I’ve learned a lot more about how to be inclusive to students — to recognize different ways of knowing and acknowledge cultural differences.

Q: What does having a University of Calgary Teaching Award mean to you?
A: It's nice to be acknowledged for the work that we do.

Francisco Alaniz Uribe

School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
Award for Sessional Instructors, 2014

Then: Sessional instructor in SAPL (formerly the Faculty of Environmental Design)
Now: Associate professor

Q: One thing you've learned?
A: Empathy is perhaps one of the most important skills to have as a professor. It helps us to better understand our students and tailor our teaching approach and material to the diversity in our classrooms. 

Q: What the award means to you?
A: Personally it was an honour to be recognized as a good teacher by my peers, and validated my efforts to focus on my students’ learning and to push myself and my students to go the extra mile. It also positively impacted my career and contributed to my successful application for the tenure-track position that I now hold.

Lisa Stowe

Faculty of Arts
Award for Experiential Learning Initiatives, 2016

Then: Senior instructor in the Department of Communication, Media and Film
Now: Professor (teaching) in the Department of Communication, Media and Film and academic lead, experiential learning, in the Office of Experiential Learning

Q: One thing you've learned?
A: Every time I teach, my students teach me something about the course and about how they learn. I then take that learning into the next course I teach to start the reflective practice all over again. 

Q: What the award means to you?
A: So often we never know if others value the work we do and the award shows me that my colleagues do recognize the work I do. It also opens doors via the Teaching Academy to collaborate with others across campus to further teaching and learning.

Mike Paget

Cumming School of Medicine
Award for Non-Academic Staff (Individual), 2017

Then: Manager, academic technologies, undergraduate medical education
Now: The same, manager, academic technologies, undergraduate medical education, though the program has transformed itself in the last few years.

Q: One thing you've learned?
A: Non-academic staff can feel a bit outside of the faculty and student dialogues. However, we have so much opportunity to transform how our programs work. I've really learned that forging connections with new staff, new faculty, and helping students who might feel a bit outside of the crowd is a great reward for me.

Q: What the award means to you?
A: The process was a chance to reflect on what I was doing and whether it was impactful. Some of those reflections carry with me today.

Mayi Arcellana-Panlilio

Cumming School of Medicine
Award for Full-Time Academic Staff (Senior Instructor), 2017

Then: Senior instructor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Now: Professor emerita (teaching), having retired from the university after 25 years of teaching

Q: One thing you've learned?
A: The practice of teaching and learning isn’t a solitary pursuit of one teacher conjuring up multi-directional learning in her classroom. Rather, it happens in community with other teachers and other learners, within the groves of one’s academe and beyond.

Q: What the award means to you?
A: I’ve always loved teaching. To me, seeing even one student’s eyes light up with understanding makes all the hard work that goes into teaching well worthwhile. Receiving a Teaching Award adds the dimension of recognition, of being seen, not only by my students, but also by my peers and my University. I’ll always be grateful to have received a UCalgary Teaching Award — without a doubt, a highlight of my teaching career.

Marina Fischer

Continuing Education and Libraries and Cultural Resources
Award for Continuing and Professional Education, 2018

Then: Instructor, Continuing Education and collections specialist for Numismatics, Nickle Galleries, Libraries and Cultural Resources
Now: Curator of numismatics, Nickle Galleries, Libraries and Cultural Resources and instructor, Continuing Education

Q: One thing you've learned? 
A: One key thing I’ve learned about the practice of teaching and learning is the profound impact of making academic content accessible and relevant to diverse audiences. My experience in curating exhibitions, engaging with the public through programming and media has reinforced the importance of bridging the gap between scholarly research and public understanding. By integrating innovative technologies, I can create dynamic learning experiences that resonate with both the academic and broader communities. 

Q: What the award means to you?
A: It signifies recognition from my peers and the broader academic community for the innovative approaches I’ve integrated into teaching. Ultimately, the award underscores the value of my work at the museum, reinforcing its role as a vital educational resource. It drives me to further contribute to the university’s mission of fostering knowledge, discovery, and public engagement.

Michele Hardy

Libraries and Cultural Resources
Award for Librarians, Archivists and Curators, 2019

Then: Curator, adjunct professor, program co-ordinator, Museum and Heritage Studies
Now: Curator, adjunct professor

Q: One thing you've learned?
A: That the learning never stops.

Q: What the award means to you?
A: The University of Calgary Teaching Award is a wonderful acknowledgment of my efforts to instruct and inspire students using non-traditional experiential methods.