Excellence Recognized at FPA Spring Social

Staff, faculty members, contract instructors and other members of the Faculty gathered at the FPA Spring Social to celebrate the end of the Winter term and to honour colleagues who demonstrated exemplary service, teaching and research in FPA over the past year.

The recipients received awards for teaching excellence, research excellence, public commentary and staff excellence, along with a special presentation of an award from the Ontario Federation of University Faculty Associations.

Candidates were invited to nominate themselves, or were nominated by Chairs, Directors and colleagues. The finalists were chosen by a panel of judges.

Research Excellence Award, Professor Laura Macdonald, Department of Political Science

Professor Macdonald is a leading expert on Latin American politics, with a focus on Canada—Latin American relations, trade, development assistance and human rights.

Over the past two years, Professor Macdonald has published—along with colleagues—two academic journals, six refereed journal articles, six refereed book chapters, one book chapter and an encyclopedia entry. She has also been awarded numerous SSHRC grants.

“Laura consistently works to link academic, government and civil society audiences in order to promote strong and more inclusive public policies,” said Fiona Robinson, Associate Dean (Research & International) in her introduction.

As winner of the FPA Research Excellence Award, Dr. Macdonald will receive a $10,000 grant to host the FPA Excellence Research Symposium in March 2018.

Teaching Excellence Award (Contract), Melanie Coulson, School of Journalism and Communication

Melanie Coulson is known for her innovative teaching style, her accessibility to students at all hours of the day, and a classroom that’s fun and engaging. She has taught in the School since 2010 and is a key contributor to the reimagined Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies program (BCOMS).

“Melanie’s teaching methods are considered cutting edge and highly innovative, including use of podcasts, videos, photography and blogs,” said Hugh Shewell, Association Dean (Academic), who presented the award. “Her teaching scores are consistently in the 4.5 and higher range.”

Teaching Excellence Award (Faculty), Associate Professor Gopika Solanki, Department of Political Science

Professor Solanki has developed eight new courses at Carleton and is known for her innovation, as well as excellent student supervision and mentoring of students at all levels.

According to Associate Dean Shewell, her teaching philosophy supports open, respectful dialogue and “consistently includes connecting academic or intellectual puzzles to real-world debates.” Professor Solanki was unable to attend the ceremony.

Public Commentary Excellence Award, Assistant Professor Stephanie Carvin, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

Professor Carvin is a widely-recognized expert on international security, terrorism and technology. She is frequently interviewed on national news programs and contributes blogs to publications such as The Globe and Mail. Currently, she is teaching in the areas of critical infrastructure protection, technology and warfare, and foreign policy.

“Dr. Carvin is the very model of a publicly engaged scholar…and has quickly become a go-to authority on national security and global relations issues,” said Barry Wright, Associate Dean and Director, Arthur Kroeger College.

Staff Excellence Award, Marilyn Ginder, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Marilyn Ginder is a Carleton alumnus who began working here in 1981. She received the Staff Excellence Award for demonstrating “excellence in the workplace, customer service, innovation, continuous improvement, collaboration and dedication to unit, Faculty and University priorities”.

“Marilyn’s dedication to students is clear both to the students and to everyone in the institute. She carries out the many parts of her job with enthusiasm and effectiveness and often one of her signature jokes,” said Mary Francoli, Associate Dean (Students and Enrollment).

Ontario Federation of University Faculty Associations Award, Professor Mira Sucharov, Department of Political Science

Professor Sucharov received the OFUCA award in recognition of her willingness to tackle difficult subjects in the classroom, create new curricular offerings and employ a whole student approach.

“Mira’s self-styled whole-person approach to teaching consistently underpins everything that she does as an educator,” said Patrick Lyons, Carleton’s Director of Teaching and Learning. “Her primary concern is always the holistic development of students in ways that acknowledge and respect the various dimensions of their humanity.”

Lyons quoted a number of her former students, including alumna Lena Saleh, who said Professor Sucharov’s approach “not only serves to break down the barriers between students and instructors, but also encourages students to critically engage with their own identities and question how these can impact their view of the conflict and politics broadly.”

Read more about Professor Sucharov’s approach to teaching.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 in Department of Political Science, FPA Excellence Awards, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, News
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