(From left to right): Rebecca Duclos, Jeri Brown, Philip Szporer, Kathleen Vaughan (on screen), Mark Sussman and Catherine Bolton. Photo credit: Concordia University
Members of the Faculty of Fine Arts community came together on May 31 to celebrate some of its best and brightest professors at the Distinguished Teaching Awards ceremony.
"The spheres in which knowledge can be shared by our faculty members are unique — as we evolve in our teaching, let’s not forget about that," said Rebecca Duclos, dean of Fine Arts.
Jeri Brown, associate professor of music, Philip Szporer, part-time faculty member in contemporary dance, and Kathleen Vaughan, associate professor of art education, were all honoured for their dedication to teaching.
The awards recognize classroom pedagogy, curriculum or program development and the advancement of teaching and advising practices. Faculty members each receive $1,500 in support of their work.
Mark Sussman, associate dean of Academic Affairs, noted in his introduction that this year’s batch of nominees was extraordinary.
Catherine Bolton, vice-provost of Teaching and Learning and awards committee member, echoed Sussman’s statement, saying that narrowing down the three recipients was extremely difficult given the quality of the candidates.
“We wanted to give everyone an award,” she said with laugh. “But that’s a good problem.”
She also noted that due to committed, dedicated and passionate teaching by Fine Arts professors, they have gained “a reputation for experiential learning that is the envy of other faculties.”
Maria Ezcurra Lucotti, an art education PhD candidate, said that in building the nomination package for Kathleen Vaughan, she received more than 30 letters of support.
“Kathleen is an incredibly supportive member of our academic community who truly deserves this award,” Ezcurra Lucotti stated.
For Vaughan’s part, in a message she pre-recorded before leaving for a summer residency in Iceland, she said that the award was an amazing honour for a service that she loves to do.
“I’m deeply moved and very, very grateful.”
Music professor Mark Corwin noted that as a performer, his colleague Jeri Brown is exceptional.
“And she takes to teaching with the same gusto and bravado,” he said. “She has boundless creative energy.”
Meanwhile, Brown said that her connection with her students — current, graduated and in the community — has allowed her to push her own career limits.
Kathleen Perry, librarian at the Digital Image and Slide Collection, introduced her long-time colleague Philip Szporer by noting his tireless work as a mentor to help students express themselves.
Szporer — who brought his sixth-grade teacher to the event — said that one of the keys to teaching is to know both who and where the students are.
“Connecting with students makes me feel alive,” he said, quoting the maxim, "when you teach, you learn. And when they learn, they also teach."
Read about students of Concordia's Faculty of Fine Arts being honoured this spring, including Lieutenant Governor of Quebec award recipients and Concordia’s O’Brien Medal winner.
