The University’s finest educators have been recognised for their dedication to teaching and engagement with students at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Education, on Monday 28 April.
The 14 academics received awards across a range of categories, including Teaching Excellence, Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning and Excellence in Tutoring or Demonstrating.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Young AO, says the awards act as a springboard for recognising the University’s most effective and dedicated educators on the national stage.
“These educators are brave, embracing a changing educational landscape by becoming innovative, reflective and responsive in their style,” he says.
“Their willingness to listen, adapt and improve for the benefit of their students is inspirational.”
Dr Alison Behie, lecturer in Biological Anthropology from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology was one of six academics to be recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.
Having worked at ANU for just under three years as an early career researcher, she says it’s a huge honour to receive the citation.
“I think that it’s really great because ANU is obviously a well-recognised research institution. That’s not to say we’re not good at teaching, and education focused, but I think there’s a sort of shift towards better education and better teaching and motivating students through classes and increasing class size. So I think these awards really motivate people to continue to excel not only at research but teaching.”
Dr Behie says it will also help to promote the courses she teaches in a discipline that is unique to Australia.
She also says using non-traditional teaching styles is important to engage students.
“It’s really important to recognise that not all students learn in the same way and that we can’t fall back on traditional methods of teaching because it’s not going to work for everybody.”
Read about the recipients' approaches to teaching and supporting student learning.
Recipients of the 2014 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Education
Special Commendation, Awards for Teaching Excellence
- Dr Adam Butt, Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies & Applied Statistics, CBE
- Associate Professor Imogen Mitchell, School of Medicine, CMBE
Recipients, Awards for Teaching Excellence
- Mr Chris Browne, Research School of Engineering, CECS
- Associate Professor Christine Phillips, School of Medicine, CMBE
Special Commendation, Award for Excellence in Supervision
- Dr Simone Dennis, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, CASS
Recipient, Award for Excellence in Supervision
- Associate Professor Peter Christen, Research School of Computer Science, CECS
Special Commendation, Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
- Ms Grazia Micciche, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, CASS
Recipients, Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
- Dr Alison Behie, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, CASS
- Dr Sue Cossetto, Research School of Biology, CMBE
- Drs John Debs and Nicholas Robins, Research School of Physics & Engineering, CPMS
- Associate Professor Tony Foley, ANU College of Law
- Dr Stephen Loy, School of Music, CASS
Recipients, Awards for Excellence in Tutoring or Demonstrating
- Ms Jun Imaki, School of Culture, History & Languages, CAP
- Mr Joshua Soo, Research School of Economics, CBE
