Karen Pillon and Dora Cavallo-MedvedThe Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations will honour Karen Pillon and Dora Cavallo-Medved of the University of Windsor at its awards ceremony, October 21 in Toronto.

Provincial faculty body recognizes outstanding UWindsor educators

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has recognized two members of the UWindsor academy for their contributions to learning and scholarship.

Dora Cavallo-Medved, a permanent lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been named one of Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers and will receive the OCUFA Teaching Award.

Karen Pillon, head of access services at the Leddy Library, has been named one of the province’s most outstanding academic librarians and will receive the OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award.

Both awards will be conferred at an October 21 ceremony in Toronto.

Professor Judy Bornais of the Faculty of Nursing chairs the confederation’s award committee. She praised her colleagues for the impact they have had beyond the campus.

“Through her work with public libraries, high schools, and social service agencies, Karen Pillon’s passion for learning and research has impacted students beyond the University of Windsor campus,” Bornais said. “Her commitment to accessible learning and innovative teaching methods is praiseworthy.

“Dora Cavallo-Medved’s creative teaching style is loved and recognized by students. She sees students as partners in the learning experience, and many credit her for their continued success in academia.”

Mindy Thuna of the University of Toronto is the other recipient of a 2016-2017 OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award. This year’s other teaching award recipients are Kimberley Dej and Milena Head of McMaster University, Quazi Mehbubar Rahman of Western University, and Mira Sucharov of Carleton University.

OCUFA president Gyllian Phillips said all the honorees are dedicated to and passionate about their work.

“Professors and academic librarians are at the heart of our universities,” she said. “They challenge and encourage their students to embrace new ideas and build a brighter future.”

The confederation represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 28 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.