Instructors in the Faculty of Science provide students with exemplary experiences through their engaging lessons, creative design and overall student-centred teaching approaches. As a result, our instructors are recognized year after year through a variety of awards that showcase their excellence in teaching.

Below is a list of teaching award recipients from the last 10 years.

Teaching Award Winners

Amy Hurford, Biology and Mathematics and Statistics
President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching 2023

Eric Vander Wal, Biology
President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate and Post Graduate Supervision 2023

David Churchill, Computer Science
President's Award for Outstanding Teaching (Faculty) 2022

Amy Hurford, Biology/Mathematics and Statistics
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award 2022

Rick Goulding, Physics and Physical Oceanography
Dean of Science Distinguished Teaching (Staff and Per Course Instructor) Award 2022

Christina Thorpe, Psychology
President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching 2021

Suzanne Dufour, Biology
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award 2021

Patrick Gagnon, Ocean Sciences
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award 2021

Eric Vander Wal, Biology
President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff) 2021

Kris Poduska, Physics and Physical Oceanography
President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2020

Christina Bottaro, Chemistry
President's Award for Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision 2020

Kris Poduska, Physics and Physical Oceanography
Association of Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teaching Award, 2020

Christina Thorpe, Psychology
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award, 2020

Travis Fridgen, Chemistry
President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2019

Valerie Booth, Biochemistry
President's Award for Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision, 2019

Ron Haynes, Mathematics and Statistics
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award, 2019

Chris Flinn, Chemistry
Chemical Institute of Canada Canadian Society for Chemistry Faculty Advisor Award, 2019

Bruce Shawyer, Mathematics and Statistics
Canadian Mathematics Society Class of Fellows, 2019

Bill Montevecchi, Psychology
John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship, 2018

Beth Ann Austin, Mathematics and Statistics
President's Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff), 2018

Yuanzhu Chen, Computer Science
President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2018

Kris Poduska, Physics and Physical Oceanography
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award, 2018

Brent Snook, Psychology
Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools Geoffrey Marshall Mentoring Award 2018

Edgar Goodaire, Mathematics and Statistics
Canadian Mathematical Society Class of Fellows, 2018

Danny Dyer, Mathematics and Statistics
Association of Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teaching Award, 2017

Travis Fridgen, Chemistry
Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award, 2017

Beth Ann Austin, Mathematics and Statistics
MUNSU Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2017

Danny Dyer, Mathematics and Statistics
President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2016

Brent Snook, Psychology
President's Award for Outstanding Graduate and Post-graduate Supervision, 2016

Ronald Haynes, Mathematics and Statistics
MUNSU Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2016

Margaret Caldwell, Biology
MUNSU Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2016

Bob Hooper, Biology
MUNSU Award for Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Contribution to Student Life, 2016

Margarita Kondratieva, Mathematics and Statistics
MUNSU Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2015

John (Sean) Brosnan, Biochemistry
Jon Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship, 2014

Regina Edwards, Computer Science
MUNSU Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Life, 2014

Aimee Surprenant, Psychology
MUNSU Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Life, 2012

David Schneider, Ocean Sciences
President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Student Supervision, 2012

Past Award Winners

Teaching Awards Available

Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award

The Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award is presented each year to an instructor whose sustained commitment and creative approach to teaching has contributed to the improvement of the overall quality of teaching within the Faculty of Science. The award is open to current Academic Staff Members within the Faculty of Science who have served a minimum of five years.

The Dean of Science Distinguished Teacher Award (Staff and PCI), established in 2022, recognizes staff members and per course instructors who have provided exceptional and innovative teaching or support to teaching activities, including enabling accessible education and by enhancing student success and retention.

President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Graduate Supervision

The President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Graduate Supervision encompass four categories:

Distinguished Teaching
Outstanding Teaching (Faculty)
Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff)
Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision

They are presented each year to those individuals who, through their teaching or supervision, have significantly contributed to a positive teaching and learning environment at Memorial University.

Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Contribution to Student Life Awards

The Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Contribution to Student Life (ETOCSL) are intended to give students the opportunity to give back to those faculty and staff members at Memorial who have had a positive impact on their lives. These are the only awards for faculty and staff at Memorial that are entirely student-run.

External Teaching Awards

In addition to internal awards, instructors at Memorial University have also been recognized by external awards including:

Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Distinguished Teacher Award
Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Anne Marie MacKinnon Instructional Leadership Award
3M Teaching Fellowship, 3M and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Allan Blizzard Award, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, University Affairs
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Information and support for faculty pursuing these awards is provided by the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.