Summer Newsletter

SUMMER 2025

Exceptional Undergraduate Learning

ACHIEVEMENTS

MacEwan Teaching Awards Recipients share their thoughts on teaching at MacEwan

Distinguished Teaching Award Dr. Amanda Nelund Department of Sociology

Distinguished Teaching Award Christine Pope Department of Child and Youth Care

Teaching at MacEwan for the past decade has given me the opportunity to help build academic communities. My teaching is guided by relational pedagogy, an approach that argues students learn best when they can build relationships with their professors and with each other. One of my goals and favorite parts of teaching has been getting to know students and helping them build the knowledge and skills they need. At the end of every semester, I thank students in my classes for allowing me to be a part of their academic journey and I am always thrilled when they continue to stay in touch and update me on where their learning takes them.

Teaching, like child and youth care, is about relationships that develop from everyday interactions— interactions that inspire curiosity and connection. Every day, I’m motivated by the students I work with, their compassion, and their commitment to supporting young people and families. Teaching and learning are not individual or isolated experiences. Creating opportunities for students to engage both in the classroom and with local and international communities helps shape values, critical thinking skills, empathy, and action. I am privileged in my role as an instructor, and the opportunities to work alongside students and as a member of the MacEwan community.

Teaching Leadership Award Robert Andruchow Department of Design

Teaching Leadership Award Dr. Melissa Hills Department of Biological Sciences

It has been an honour to provide teaching leadership for MacEwan University over the last 10 years. I’ve had the unique privilege to lead the creation of a new Bachelor of Design degree, co-lead the creation Alberta’s first major in Digital Experience Design (DXD) and Canada’s first upskilling DXD Certificate, and co-lead the creation of 5 out-of-faculty minors. These new educational opportunities will jumpstart careers for thousands of students and fill talent gaps for hundreds of design employers over the next couple of decades. It is immensely meaningful to me to provide such lasting impact on Alberta’s economy and society, hopefully making daily life more friendly, meaningful, and beautiful.

Great teaching is a team effort. I’m probably supposed to say students are the best part of my job—and they are wonderful—but for me, it’s my colleagues. Great teaching takes more than I could ever do alone. It relies on the skills students develop in your classrooms as well as mine. It thrives in the student-centered culture we build through governance and shared commitment. It grows from our passion, generosity, and collaboration. We celebrate our teaching wins, share ideas, and support each other through challenges. I’m truly privileged to have spent the last nineteen years teaching alongside you all.