Awards & Honours

Professor Aneil Agrawal of geology, Charly Bank, a senior lecturer in ecology and evolutionary biology, Professor Alissa Trotz of the Women and Gender Studies Institute and Caribbean studies and Professor Victoria Wohl of classics are this year’s winners of the Faculty of Arts and Science Outstanding Teaching Awards, created in 1993 to highlight the great value the faculty places on excellence in teaching. The awards recognize teaching excellence in undergraduate education in classroom instruction; course design; curriculum development; and innovative teaching methods. Agrawal is cited in his nomination letter as “a most passionate, enthusiastic, reflective, caring and accessible teacher,” while Banks is noted for the effort he devotes to the 299/399 Research Opportunity and Independent Experiential Study programs, among other achievements. Trotz is lauded by one student as “absolutely outstanding, one of my favourite teachers this year because of her enthusiasm and the amount of time dedicated to student participation in class.” In her nomination letter it is noted that “the high proportion of students eager to retake a course or to take further courses with Professor Wohl is also striking.” An awards ceremony was held April 9.

James Lau, assistant director of the Division of Teaching Labs, is the winner of the 2010-2011 David Keeling Award for Administrative Excellence, presented annually to an administrative staff member in the Faculty of Medicine who has made a sustained contribution of excellence over many years or, in a shorter time period, has made transformative contribution. Lau is well known and respected by faculty and students alike for his collaboration in creating lab courses and experiments to enhance the students’ knowledge base; his dedication to ensuring the division has the best and most up-to-date technologies available; and his sincere and caring approach to ensuring that everyone has as positive an experience as possible while interacting with the division.

Professor Chan Ka Nin is the winner of a 201S1 New Music for Young Musicians creation award, presented during Ping!, the Canadian Music Centre-Ontario’s annual celebration of New Music for Young Musicians, held this year on April 5 at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Thanks to a generous multi-year investment from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, CMCOntario was able to offer five commissions for new educational works this year. Ka Nin will create a six-movement work for intermediate string orchestra, designed to encourage good intonation, listening across the ensemble and reinforcement of both good ensemble playing and strong string technique, while also being fun to rehearse and perform.

Beth Savan, director of the sustainability office, is a recipient of a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 2010 Excellence in Education Award for her innovative work in teaching sustainable practices. The inaugural director of the office, Savan has been responsible for establishing the office, managing its staff, engaging students in sustainability activities on campus and overseeing the energy and resource conservation programs. The award honours outstanding education contributions to sustainable practices in the fields of architecture, planning, landscape architecture, urban design, geography, engineering and environmental studies.

Professor Konrad Eisenbichler of Victoria College’s Renaissance studies program has been appointed Commendatore, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italia. The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is the highest of the orders of the Italian Republic and is awarded for contributions in the fields of literature, the arts, economics, public service and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities. The order is bestowed by decree of the president of the Italian Republic, as head of the orders of knighthood. The knighthood was officially conferred on Eisenbichler Dec. 2 in a ceremony in Toronto.