At the core of any transformative university education lies a passionate teacher. They impart knowledge and inspire students, empowering them to unlock new opportunities for learning and growth.听
This year, Dalhousie honours a range of individuals and teams whose dedication to their craft is a testament to this power. As you'll see, though, their efforts pay dividends not just for students, but also the culture of teaching at the university and the broader community.听
From pioneering new approaches in medical education to championing equity and inclusion in the classroom, these award recipients exemplify the very best of what it means to teach and lead.
Join us in celebrating their remarkable contributions.
2025 university-wide teaching award recipients
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Academic Innovation Award
Drs. Anna MacLeod and George Kovacs, and the late Mr. Rob Sandeski听
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This team, which led the Clinical Cadaver Program (CCP) at Dalhousie鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine, is being recognized for addressing a gap in procedural training for high-frequency and high-risk medical procedures. This program meets the educational needs of a diverse range of learners at various stages of their education and stands out for its effectiveness, as evidenced by testimonials of users and in its sustainability over the past 20 years.听
The program began in 2006 when Dr. Kovacs, an emergency medicine physician, was inspired by a groundbreaking cadaver preparation method he observed at the University of Maryland. Recognizing a gap in procedural training for medical learners, Dr. Kovacs collaborated with Rob Sandeski, the former manager of the Human Body Donation Program, to develop the Halifax Clinical Cadaver Preparation (Halifax Prep). This initiative became the first in Canada and the second in North America to use these advanced embalming techniques.
Dalhousie Alumni Association Faculty Award of Excellence for Teaching
Dr. Liesl Gambold, Sociology & Social Anthropology and Coordinator of the Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies Program
Dr. Liesl Gambold's ability to cultivate an accessible and inclusive learning environment coupled with her dedication to fostering meaningful connections with students beyond the classroom distinguishes her as an exceptional educator.
In her 20 years at Dalhousie, she has developed a reputation for outstanding dedication to student engagement, mentorship, and innovative teaching methods.
For all this and more, Dr.Gambold was chosen as this year's recipient of Dal's top teaching award. Stay tuned for a full feature profile later this year.听听
Award for Excellence in Education for Equity
Dr. Heidi Weigand, Faculty of Management
Dr. Heidi Weigand, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Management, specializes in leadership, change management, and Indigenous community engagement. She is widely recognized for her high levels of trust and credibility, underscoring her exceptional teaching approach.听Her integration of etuapmumk (an Indigenous concept also known as Two-Eyed Seeing) and Ubuntu听(an Africentric concept meaning "I am because you are') as core skills within her syllabi ensure students understand their importance.听听
Dr. Weigand鈥檚 research focuses on building resilient and sustainable communities through collaboration, mental health advocacy, and decolonization. Her work often incorporates Two-Eyed Seeing, a framework that combines Indigenous and Western knowledge to foster respect, sustainability, and collective well-being. She collaborates closely with Indigenous knowledge holders, particularly in Mi鈥檏maw community, to address community-driven projects on mental health, fish habitat protection, and leadership systems.听
Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision
Dr. Jan Rainey, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (cross appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry)
Dr. Rainey's outstanding student mentorship and educational leadership have created and maintained a welcoming, vibrant and supportive research environment. Since joining Dal nearly 20 years ago, Dr. Rainey has mentored 17 doctoral and 10 masters students and authored 60 scientific publications with students.听
Alumni who have had the benefit of Dr. Rainey 's guidance now work in a wide variety of settings from academic and industrial spaces to government labs and health-care facilities. He also greatly enjoys supporting graduate students on numerous supervisory committees and thesis examinations and has served as his department's graduate coordinator.
Online/Blended Course Development, Design, and Delivery
Dr. Christopher Greene, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science
Dr. Christopher Greene, a senior instructor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovative and inclusive teaching through his thoughtful course design. His hyflex learning approach, which balances asynchronous and synchronous activities, has continued even after many instructors reverted to face-to-face formats post-COVID.
Dr Green has been commended for the environmental scanning conducted to better inform the design of a hyflex learning environment and for implementing class exercises that reflect the principles of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.
Early Career Faculty Award of Excellence for Teaching
Dr. Sarah Chisholm, Department of Mathematics and Statistics and coordinator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Centre
Dr. Sarah Chisholm demonstrates exceptional commitment to inclusive, student-centered teaching and educational leadership. In testimonials, students spoke about Dr. Chisholm鈥檚 empowering and supportive teaching style. Her outstanding coordination and mentorship of teaching assistants, along with her leadership in the Math/Stat Learning Centre and multiple SoTL (scholarship of teaching and learning)-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) inclusive initiatives, further demonstrates her commitment to student success and educational leadership.
Dr. Chisholm excels in teaching introductory level听 mathematics, particularly calculus. She creates a learning environment that is both welcoming and productive for all, particularly students from historically underrepresented communities. She strives to help students enhance their problem-solving skills more broadly and mentors early career academics preparing for their own teaching pathways.听
Educational Leadership Award for Collaborative Teaching Award
Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 Case Diversification Working Group
Led by Dr. Lynette Reid and Leanne Picketts, and supported by 24 working group members, the working group is a core initiative of the Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 鈥榗urriculum refresh.鈥� The project addressed critical gaps in representation, equity, and social accountability, establishing a national standard for medical education.
The group's work has been informed by diverse group of faculty, students, and community partners, including Black, Indigenous, and racialized health leaders.听 The project is expected to听have an immense impact on the teaching of medicine at Dalhousie and, as a result, on the practice of health care in the region and beyond.听Dr. Lynette Reid is an Associate Professor in Bioethics at 好色谷, where she has taught since 2006. Leanne Picketts, active in medical education since 2005, holds an MEd in Curriculum Studies, with a thesis on patient-centered learning in Dalhousie鈥檚 undergraduate medicine program.
Sessional and Part-time Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching
Sam Knight, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Instructor Sam Knight has been with the first-year chemistry team since she herself was a first-year chemistry student. A dedicated lecturer, she also teaches both science and engineering students in first-year chemistry labs.
In her few years as an instructor, Sam has garnered a reputation for her strong student-centred approach and ability to create an engaging and supportive learning environment. Her key strengths as a teacher include balancing theory with practical application, her commitment to student support and accessibility, and her contributions to course development. She cherishes the connections she makes with her students and values learning from them as they learn from her.
President鈥檚 Graduate/Undergraduate Student Teaching Award
Teaching assistants (TAs) make an indispensable contribution to university education: teaching in the classroom, leading seminars and tutorials, demonstrating in the laboratory, coaching, providing feedback on student work, and supporting students鈥� success in numerous ways. Clark Brown and Jessica Latimer have illustrated dedication in all these ways and more.
Brown, a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering, boasts an impressive range of teaching and TA experience and has become a key contributor to the Department of Chemistry's instructional team. As a Studying For Success coach, he facilitated highly beneficial workshops, especially for first-generation university students. Brown consistently innovates his teaching approaches to enhance student learning, tailoring them to their specific requirements.听
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Jessica, a graduate student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, seeks to situate her own research in microbial genomics within a biology education research framework. This year, she completed the Dalhousie Certificate for University Teaching and Learning and helped expand the Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Modules program to promote citizen science developed by, with and for youth from underrepresented communities as part of a team receiving a Centre for Learning and Teaching SoTL grant. Jessica鈥檚 passion for teaching and learning shines through her exceptional dedication as a TA, her impactful SoTL work, and her inspiring student interactions.