Celebrating excellence in teaching
At the Mount’s 2019 spring convocation, the Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning (SCOTL) announced the recipients of the 2019 Mount Saint Vincent University Teaching Excellence Awards. The President and Vice Presidents’ Advanced Career Teaching Award, the Alumnae Early Career Teaching Award, and the Alumnae Part-Time Teaching Award were presented to Dr. Elizabeth Bowering of the Psychology department, Dr. Kelly Resmer of the Chemistry department and Dr. Matthew MacLellan of Political Studies, Cultural Studies and Philosophy, respectively.
The awards were established to recognize teaching excellence at every level, including senior and junior full-time faculty and part-time faculty. They reflect the University’s strong commitment to leadership in teaching and learning.
Mount community members were invited to nominate professors, librarians and lab instructors who demonstrate teaching excellence. This year, 13 talented and committed Mount educators were nominated. “We are delighted to recognize and celebrate outstanding teaching in our campus community,” said Dr. Elizabeth Church, Vice-President Academic and Provost.
The President and Vice Presidents’ Advanced Career Teaching Award:
Dr. Elizabeth Bowering, Psychology
Dr. Elizabeth Bowering joined the Mount’s Psychology Department almost 30 years ago and has made an exceptional contribution to student success with a focus on service-learning and supporting students in “making meaning” of course teachings.Dr. Bowering has shown strong commitment to supporting students in tailoring her course content to facilitate all types of learners, and in 2001, received the Mount’s Instructional Leadership Award. She has included a service learning opportunity in two of her courses, providing students the opportunity to tutor and mentor adolescents registered with a local Pathways to Education program. In her Introductory Psychology course, students participated in “conversation circles” with international students registered with the Mount’s International Education Centre.
Through fostering strong relationships in the community, Dr. Bowering has created connections for students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real world settings. She has been described by her students as a “cheerful, intelligent and highly-respected professor”.
The Alumnae Early Career Teaching Award:
Dr. Kelly Resmer, Chemistry
Dr. Kelly Resmer of the Chemistry department is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment. She goes above and beyond to support students in their learning by providing regular feedback on assignments and ensuring open communication.Since arriving at the Mount in 2014, Dr. Resmer has modernized chemistry laboratory teaching by incorporating creative and multimodal teaching tools that are described by her students as “engaging, fun and interactive”. Through the use of videos and state-of-the-art experiments, she takes a hands-on approach in making course content easier to understand. Described as “an engaging and prepared educator”, it is clear that Dr. Resmer’s passion for her field is an inspiration to her students.
The Alumnae Part-Time Teaching Award:
Dr. Matthew MacLellan, Political Studies, Cultural Studies and Philosophy
Dr. Matthew MacLellan of the Mount’s Political Studies, Cultural Studies and Philosophy departments is known for making his students a top priority and ensuring an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning. His students have described him as a “walking representation of why every student should love the Mount.”Through the use of contemporary materials like television shows, memes and movie clips, Dr. MacLellan makes course curriculum fun and engaging for students. In addition to supporting students in the classroom, he goes above and beyond by attending student events, advocacy initiatives and working with students for directed studies. Dr. MacLellan genuinely cares for his students and uses knowledge from political studies, cultural studies, Canadian studies and philosophy to enable a thorough understanding of course material.