Teaching Awards Recipients

UBC Okanagan’s Teaching Awards recognize outstanding and innovative faculty who demonstrate their dedication to an important common goal—teaching excellence. We are pleased to recognize several exceptional individuals who embody our academic mission of teaching excellence at the annual UBC Okanagan Teaching Awards Ceremony.

2023 Teaching Award Winners

Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Fiona P. McDonald | Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Dr. Fiona McDonald‘s scholarship and research in anthropology took her around the world before she joined UBC Okanagan in 2018. Since then, she has led innovative projects that have significantly impacted teaching and learning on our campus, including developing and teaching new courses focused on visual anthropology and collaborating closely with other departments and units to combine innovative uses of technology with a learner-based approach to teaching.

Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Claire Yu Yan | School of Engineering

Since joining UBC Okanagan in 2008, Dr. Claire Yan has strongly impacted the student experience in the School of Engineering and plays an instrumental role in making engineering accessible for current and future generations of scholars. Beyond her invaluable contributions to the school’s engineering curriculum, Dr. Yan’s impacts extend far beyond the classroom through her leadership in developing innovative outreach and bridge programs and creating open education resources.

Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Peyman Yousefi | School of Engineering

Dr. Peyman Yousefi has made significant impacts on the teaching and learning community since he first joined this campus in 2016 as a PhD student. Now a dedicated engineering educator and faculty member, Dr. Yousefi has earned a strong reputation for educational innovation and teaching excellence through incorporating new technologies in his classroom and ongoing commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Killam Teaching Prize

Peter Arthur | Okanagan School of Education

Dr. Peter Arthur has been a leader in the teaching community since the inception of UBC’s Okanagan campus. An internationally-recognized scholar of teaching and learning in higher education, Dr. Arthur has impacted the lives of countless students and educators through his educational leadership as the Founding Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and his caring and compassionate approach in the classroom.

2021 – 2022

Dr. Ayman Elnaggar, School of Engineering
Dr. Bowen Hui, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Dr. Firas Moosvi, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Dr. Mehran Shirazi, School of Engineering


2020 – 2021

Dr. Jordan Stouck, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies
Dr. Jannik Eikenaar, School of Engineering


2019 – 2020

Dr. Zoë Soon, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Dr. Karen Ragoonaden, Okanagan School of Education


2018 – 2019

Dr. Andis Klegeris, IKBSAS 
Dr. Sally Willis-Stewart, School of Health and Exercise Sciences 


2017 – 2018

Dr. Yang Cao, School of Engineering 
Dr. Leyton Schnellert, Faculty of Education 


2016 – 2017

Dr. Ramon Lawrence, IKBSAS 
Dr. Christine Schreyer, IKBSAS 


2015 – 2016

Dr. Mary Ann Murphy, IKBSAS 
Dr. Zach Walsh, IKBSAS 


2014 – 2015

Dr. Ray Taheri (Junior), School of Engineering 
Dr. Stephen Porter (Senior), IKBSAS  


2013 – 2014

Dr. Mina Hoorfar (Junior), School of Engineering
Dr. Susan Crichton (Senior), Faculty of Education


2012 – 2013

Dr. John Wagner (Senior), IKBSAS
Dr. Jonathan Holzman, School of Engineering
Dr. Ilya Parkins, IKBSAS 


2011 – 2012

Dr. Erik Rosolowsky (Junior), IKBSAS
Dr. Paul Davies (Junior), IKBSAS
Dr. Naomi McPherson (Senior), IKBSAS


2010 – 2011

Dr. Carolyn Labun (Senior) , School of Engineering
Dr. Joyce Boon (Senior), IKBSAS


2009 – 2010

Dr. Michael Woodworth, IKBSAS
Dr. Patricia Lasserre, IKBSAS 


2008 – 2009

Dr. Stephen McNeil, IKBSAS
Dr. Maurice Williams, IKBSAS


2007 – 2008

Dr. Jan Cioe, IKBSAS 


2006 – 2007     

Dr. Blair Spearman, IKBSAS 

2020 – 2021

Dr. Karen Ragoonaden, Okanagan School of Education


2019 – 2020

Dr. Ramon Lawrence, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science


2018 – 2019

Dr. Jonathan Holzman, School of Engineering


2017 – 2018

Dr. Stephen McNeil, IKBSAS

PROVOST'S AWARD FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS & TUTORS

This award seeks to recognize exceptional undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants and tutors for their contributions to academic life at UBC’s Okanagan campus. We are proud to recognize this year’s award recipients.

2022 / 2023 Award Recipients

  • Amanda Darbyshire, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
  • Dylan Goode, School of Engineering
  • Mehrnaz Makuei, School of Engineering
  • Moustafa Mansour, School of Engineering
  • Aneleise Peppard, Student Learning Hub
  • Zachary Sawchuk, Student Learning Hub
  • Provost’s Award for Teaching Assistants & Tutors at the 2023 Teaching Awards Ceremony.

  • Amanda Darbyshire, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

  • Dylan Goode, School of Engineering

  • Mehrnaz Makuei, School of Engineering

  • Moustafa Mansour, School of Engineering

  • Zachary Sawchuk, Student Learning Hub