Three 91亚色 faculty members will be recognized during the 2024 Spring Convocation ceremonies with President鈥檚 University-Wide Teaching Awards for enhancing quality of learning and demonstrating innovation and excellence in teaching.

This year鈥檚 President鈥檚 University-Wide Teaching Award recipients 鈥� selected by the 91亚色 Senate 鈥� are representative of three categories: full-time faculty with 10 or more years of teaching experience; full-time faculty with less than 10 years of experience; and contract and adjunct faculty.

Each winner will not only be recognized during a convocation ceremony this spring but will have their name engraved on the University-Wide Teaching Awards plaques displayed in Vari Hall on the Keele Campus.

This year鈥檚 recipients are:

Full-time tenured faculty with 10 or more years of full-time teaching experience

Danielle Robinson, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD)

Robinson received the award in recognition of her ability to create an interdisciplinary learning environment where students from diverse academic backgrounds can work collaboratively and approach problems from contrasting directions. That ability has, in part, been channelled into her leadership around the Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) initiative, an experiential education opportunity for students that allows them approach real-world challenges with social impact in interdisciplinary ways. 

鈥淚n my collaboration with Danielle, I find her a passionate advocate for our students, excellent at organization, caring and interested in those she works with and one of the most hard-working colleagues I know,鈥� said Robinson鈥檚 nominator, Professor Franz Newland, a C4 co-founder and co-academic lead. 鈥淪he achieves this with a sense of fun, recognizing its importance when doing hard work. I believe she is an irreplaceable asset to 91亚色.鈥�

Robinson has been the recipient of several other awards, including the Dean鈥檚 Teaching Award for Junior Faculty (from AMPD), and the Airbus and Global Engineering Dean鈥檚 Council鈥檚 Diversity Award.

Full-time faculty with less than 10 years of teaching experience

Vidya Shah, Faculty of Education

Shah received the award for her collaborative approach to pedagogy, which looks to honour students鈥� voices and recognize their needs, interests and agency 鈥� often by incorporating their views into the content of her courses. The award also acknowledges Shah鈥檚 ongoing efforts to address inequities within the larger academic community, often through inspiring a rethinking of practices in the areas of racial and social justice, as well as teaching and learning.

Her nominator, Myrtle Sodhi, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, said of Shah, 鈥淗er ability to support a large number of students who are under-represented through various stages of their academic career speaks to Dr. Shah鈥檚 commitment to student learning, mentorship and social change.鈥� She added: 鈥淒r. Shah鈥檚 research, teaching, collaboration and mentorship has changed the landscape of the 91亚色 academic community in profound ways. She continues to inspire leadership, social justice action and academic pathways.鈥�

Shah is also the recipient of the Faculty of Education Graduate Teaching Award. In 2022, she was awarded the Leaders and Legends Award for Mentor of the Year by the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.

Contract and adjunct faculty

Heather Lynn Garrett, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Garrett was honoured in recognition of her her ability to engage with and motivate her students, incorporating story, anecdote, music and various media to bring course material to life. She has provided valuable mentorship to students in her program, notably through her support of the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA). She has served as a faculty mentor of SUSA鈥檚 annual Falling in Love with Research project, guiding students in conduction sociological research on a topic chosen by SUSA members.

Garrett has twice received the John O鈥橬eill Award for Teaching Excellence by the Department of Sociology, and has been nominated for the Ian Greene Award for Teaching Excellence.

Article originally published in the June 18, 2024 issue of

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Members of the 91亚色 community are invited to celebrate Black artistic talent during a showcase of performances on Feb. 8 when the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presents Word, Sound, Power: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression.

The Black History Month event spotlights Black cultural and artistic expression through performance, which this year includes drumming and dance, spoken word, a jazz ensemble, an R&B ensemble, The Toronto Gospel Choir and more.

An opportunity to highlight Black artists and creativity, the event will be open to the community and is free to attend. It begins at 5:30 p.m. with a welcome reception in the CIBC Lobby, Accolade East Building at the Keele Campus, and performances will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Tribute communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building.

鈥淎s usual, we will be hosting a Black History Month event at which time we will be showcasing and celebrating the talents, artistry and ingenuity of Black university and high school students through their music, poetry, dance and singing. Our annual event recognizes the contributions of Jean Augustine to this national recognition of Black presence in Canada鈥� says Professor Carl James, the Jean Augustine Chair and Senior Advisor on Equity and Representation. 

Featured performances include:

鈥� 91亚色 doctoral student with a presentation in drumming and dance;
鈥� Peel District School Board student Marie Pascoe with a spoken word performance;
鈥� a performance by 91亚色鈥檚 Oscar Peterson jazz ensemble;
鈥� a spoken word performance by Canadian poetry slam champion Dwayne Morgan;
鈥� a performance by 91亚色鈥檚 R&B ensemble;
鈥� a performance by spoken word artist Ryan Burke;
鈥� a presentation by the Toronto Gospel Choir; and
鈥� a spoken word presenation by 91亚色 student Ashley Keene.

Remarks will be offered by Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada, and champion of the unanimous vote in 1995 that saw February designated as Black History Month; Robert Savage, dean, Faculty of Education; and humanities Professor Andrea Davis, special advisor, Anti-Black Racism Strategy, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Representation from 91亚色鈥檚 Division of Equity, People and Culture, along with Christine Maclin of Unifor 鈥� a sponsor of the event, will also share remarks.

Word, Sound, Power is co-presented by the Faculty of Education, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Department of Humanities (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) and the Division of Equity, People and Culture.

Tickets, which are free, are available .

Article originally published in the February 1, 2023 issue of

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