Concordia honours 13 faculty for their outstanding career achievements, academic leadership and excellence in teaching
Concordia’s Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic recently recognized the outstanding achievements of eight faculty members — three inductees into the Provost’s Circle of Distinction and five Academic Leadership Award winners.
The university invites faculty to join the Provost’s Circle of Distinction when they receive external awards for career achievements or fellowships from external bodies.
Academic Leadership Awards are given to faculty who have shown exceptional abilities through significant administrative accomplishments.
Concordia also is celebrating five faculty for their contributions and commitment to teaching through the President’s Excellence in Teaching Awards. These awards recognize sustained excellence in teaching as characterized by high academic quality, social responsibility, innovation in teaching, outstanding student experience, outstanding student engagement and community engagement.
Provost Circle of Distinction
The 2021 recipients are the following:
Eric Reiter is a professor in the Department of History. Reiter received the 2020 Governor General’s History Award in Scholarly Research, presented by the Canadian Historical Association for his book Wounded Feelings: Litigating Emotions in Quebec, 1870-1950.
Hannah Claus is an assistant professor in the Department of Studio Arts and a leading force in Indigenous contemporary art in Canada and abroad. Claus was selected for the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship; she was also awarded the 2020 Prix Giverny Capital.
Akshay Kumar Rathore is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in recognition of his pioneering work in current-fed converters and multilevel inverters.
Academic Leadership Awards
The 2021 recipients are the following:
Selvadurai Dayanandan is chair and a professor in the Department of Biology. Dayanandan has been recognized for his exemplary leadership that extends above and beyond the requirements of any formal role, and for his participation with Concordia’s Senate and the Board of Governors.
Jorgen Hansen is a professor in the Department of Economics. Hansen has made outstanding contributions to the academic life of the department, the university and the wider academic community. He has also been commended for his exceptional leadership during his service as associate dean and vice-provost of the university.
Kimberley Manning is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science. Manning has made outstanding contributions to the university, the academic life of the department and the wider academic community. She has also done advocacy work for more than 10 years regarding issues of gender equity within and outside of Concordia, notably with transgender children.
Sudhir Mudur is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. Mudur has contributed to the strong growth of the department through the introduction of two new programs — a thesis-based master’s and a PhD program in software engineering. He has also contributed to the growth in the number of students in the department.
David Secko is chair and a professor in the Department of Journalism. Secko has been awarded the Concordia Emerging Leadership Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Department of Journalism that extend above and beyond the requirements of any formal role, and for his role in the creation of the Institute for Investigative Journalism.
President’s Excellence in Teaching Awards
The 2021 recipients are the following:
Andrea Hunter is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism. Hunter received the Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of her dedication to fostering mutual respect and inclusivity in the classroom, combined with a constant focus on the student experience.
Sonia Di Maulo is a part-time faculty member in the departments of Education and Applied Human Sciences. Di Maulo received the Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of her dedication to experiential learning and her achievements in coaching MA students who wish to present at the International Society for Performance Improvement Case Study Competition.
Daria Terekhov is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering. Terekhov received the Award for Excellence in Teaching in Experiential Learning for her work on the cross-faculty collaboration that resulted in the development of two experiential learning activities: INDU 480 – Cases in Industrial Engineering, and INDU 6311 – Simulation.
Bahareh Goodarzi is a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Goodarzi received the Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching in recognition of her development of a lab for COEN 243: Programming Methodology, requiring students to solve a practical programming problem within the session. Goodarzi has also been commended for her participation in the GirlSET program, which promotes interest in engineering for high school girls.
Genevieve Painter is an assistant professor in the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and Women’s Studies. Painter received the Award for New Teacher in recognition of her dedication to create respectful, inclusive and engaging learning environments. The selection committee also noted her ability to “model how power can be exercised in a thoughtful and accountable manner.” Painter has been successful in demystifying power and increasing students’ agency in their own learning.
Find out more about the Concordia Office of the Provost’s annual Awards and Distinctions.
