The Office of the Provost and the Centre for Teaching and Learning are proud to recognize this year’s Educational Leadership Award winners: Dave Andrews, Department of Kinesiology, and Kathy Pfaff, Faculty of Nursing.

The Educational Leadership Award honours the contributions of individuals who have led significant and sustained initiatives to improve teaching, curriculum, teaching spaces and resources, and policies and procedures that promote effective teaching.

“It’s important to formally celebrate our educational leaders, those who have tirelessly taken on large and sometimes daunting initiatives that impact students, colleagues, programs, and courses,” said Jessica Raffoul, acting director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning. “Dave and Kathy exemplify this commitment to teaching and learning.”

The selection committee remarked on the breadth of Dr. Andrews’ impact on teaching and learning within kinesiology, across the University, and beyond: “You are a true leader in teaching development, inspiring and creating a distributed network of instructors across campus invested in improving the student experience and faculty well-being, affecting educational policy, and elevating teaching and the educational mission at the University.”

The selection committee also noted his work in exploring educational leadership development within Canadian post-secondary institutions will surely impact educational contexts nationwide. Andrews, a 3M National Teaching Fellow, is currently collaborating with other 3M National Teaching Fellows to conduct research on the definition, practice, and implementation of Educational Leadership at Canadian Universities.

“Not only does he embody it, but Dave is literally defining educational leadership,” Andrews’ nomination letter stated.

Andrews wanted to give a special thanks to his nominator.

“I am truly honoured to be acknowledged in such a meaningful way and very grateful for the tremendous and ongoing support from colleagues, friends, and students campus-wide,” he said. “I am very much looking forward to what comes next for educational leadership at the University of Windsor!”

Dr. Pfaff was praised by the selection committee for her leadership role in major revisions of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum, and Master of Science in Nursing programs: “Your approach to program design is holistic and attends to the complexities of the learning environment and the healthcare system.”

The committee remarked on her career-long investment in nursing education, in her colleagues and their development as instructors and educational leaders, and in student engagement.

Numerous letters of support noted how she is a role model to many faculty and sessional instructors, sharing her experience and teaching approaches, which aligns with her “call to collaborate.” One of her nomination letters referred to Pfaff as one of the University of Windsor’s jewels.

Pfaff said she was humbled by the news of receiving the award.

“I have a whole lot of gratitude for my colleagues. I truly believe that this award doesn't belong to me but to a lot of people who have been working for many years on designing curriculum for our undergraduate program, and our graduate programs.”

Both professors have been recognized for their work in the past, with Andrews receiving a 3M Teaching Fellowship (2020) and an Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Teaching Award (2016), and Pfaff receiving the Faculty of the Year Award from the Nursing Society (2012).

Each recipient will also receive a grant of $5,000 to support ongoing educational leadership activities.