Four faculty members named as Professors of the Year

Dean Lisa Dolovich presenting the Professor of the Year Awards to Andrea Swanson and Debra Sibbald

From left: Dean Lisa Dolovich, Andrea Swanson, and Debra Sibbald

Student-driven awards celebrate exceptional teaching and support

Four professors from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy have been selected as the 2024 recipients of the Professor of the Year Award: Debra Sibbald, Andrea Swanson, Carolyn Cummins, and Scott Walker. This award acknowledges their outstanding contributions to teaching and support.

The Professor of the Year Awards are selected by students, with each class voting for the professor they choose to recognize.

Congratulations to this year's honourees!

Class of 2T5: Debra Sibbald

The Class of 2T5 acknowledged Debra's dedication to supporting students, flexibility, and emphasis on practical learning.

"Debra considers the students journey and is very encouraging of any work that students complete before and after class. She puts the students first as she accommodates their schedule and is constantly in contact with the faculty representatives to accomplish this. Her teaching style is motivating as she provides real life examples to help students understand the content better."

Andrea Swanson, Assistant Professor - Teaching Stream

Class of 2T6: Andrea Swanson

The Class of 2T6 celebrated Andrea for her approachability, dedication to teaching and pharmacy practice, and commitment to student success.

"Andrea has been the most approachable and down to earth professor we have had the pleasure of being taught by. She has constantly shown passion and dedication to not only her teaching and pharmacy practice, but the success of her students as well. We have had the pleasure of being taught by Andrea for PHM202 and 206, two widely different courses but both being two courses that students felt they learnt an extensive amount from – with many suggesting PHM202 being “the best pharmacotherapy course within the PharmD program”."

Class of 2T7: Carolyn Cummins

The Class of 2T7 recognized Carolyn for enhancing courses with engaging teaching and supportive mentorship.

"Dr. Cummins’s passion for her research and teaching made some of the our first year courses not only manageable but also enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed her section on nuclear receptors in molecular pharmacology. She cares about her students and wants to deliver the material in a way that’s engaging. During office hours, she’d take the time to suggest strategies for improvement. I enjoyed having her as a professor and would take a class with her again."

PharmD for Pharmacists: Scott Walker

The PharmD for Pharmacists class applauded Scott for his inspirational and effective teaching.

"Dr. Walker exemplifies the type of educator I want to be for others. One who is knowledgeable and knows how to explain a difficult concept while making it look easy. Pharmacokinetics was one of my favourite courses and I find I use his concepts in roles that I’ve held in the industry as well as hospital. Dr. Walker also made pharmacokinetics enjoyable and it’s partly why I enjoy understanding individual drug pharmacokinetics and translating that information to others."

"Scott goes the extra mile to create an engaging learning environment for us. Recognizing the variability in our life and work and keeping open communication, Scott empowers learners to take ownership in our learning journey.

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Cheyenne Matinnia, MSc Student at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy