2026 Achievement Award Recipients

Peter Andrée

Department of Political Science
Faculty of Public and Global Affairs

Mindful Approaches to Ecopolitics 

Enhanced mindfulness enables students to respond to ecological challenges with greater clarity, compassion, confidence and courage. Mindfulness offers a response to growing eco-anxiety, strategic insight, career-enhancing skills and a deeper connection with the more-than-human. This project will offer in-class mindfulness training for ecopolitics students. It will also stimulate further discussion among post-secondary educators and support staff at Carleton, in Ottawa and beyond, about how action on ecopolitical issues can benefit from the cultivation of mindfulness.  

Jennifer Drake

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Design

Bringing Municipal Engineering to Life with VR Technology

Civil engineers are increasingly challenged to design resilient infrastructure systems that address climate-driven extremes, aging infrastructure and the rapid pace of urbanization. Traditional classroom and field experiences often fall short in conveying the complexity of real-world systems. This project aims to transform the way civil and environmental engineering students learn about municipal infrastructure by using virtual reality (VR) technology at Carleton’s Experience Studios.

Andrew Harris

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Design

Training the Next Generation of Biomedical Engineers  

Over the last 20 years the field of Biomedical Engineering has rapidly evolved and now includes not only the development of medical devices and instrumentation but the study and design and of biological systems, engineered tissues, biomaterials and regenerative technologies. This project aims to modernize Carleton’s Biomedical Engineering programs and train the next generation of Biomedical Engineers with the specific skills to fill gaps in employment in this rapidly growing industry sector.

Shoeleh Shams

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Design

Can GenAI Enhance Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Engineering Education? A Comparative Study  

This project explores how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can complement effective teaching in engineering. By comparing AI-supported instruction in one section of ECOR 2050 with established student-centered pedagogical approaches in another section of the course, it examines the impacts of GenAI on student engagement, learning outcomes and perceptions. The study will generate evidence-based guidance for integrating AI thoughtfully, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving and responsible use of emerging technologies, while contributing to broader discussions on teaching innovation in STEM education.

Devin Fraser

Sprott School of Business

Devin Fraser is a Teaching Stream Professor in Accounting who focuses on building strong connections with students through clear communication, real-world cases and supportive learning environments. He uses case-based teaching to help students think critically and apply their knowledge, both in class and through international competitions, including a silver medal at the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition in 2024. As Accounting Area Coordinator and Director of MBA Programs, he also contributes to program development and leadership at Sprott.

Katie Graham

School of Journalism and Communication
Faculty of Public and Global Affairs

Katie creates student-focused learning environments that foster autonomy and a sense of belonging. Through flipped classrooms, experiential learning, and alternative grading, she shifts focus from evaluation to experimentation. Students are encouraged to take creative risks in a supportive environment, becoming confident storytellers and critical creators. Beyond the classroom, Katie builds community and collaboration among students in the Media Production and Design program, extending learning through mentorship and shared creative practice.

Emily A. Gray

Sprott School of Business

Emily Gray continuously strives to improve the student learning experience. Through innovative experiential learning, compassionate student support, and strategic curriculum development, she has transformed accounting education. Her initiatives, from community tax clinics to program reform for CPA Canada, demonstrate her commitment to student success. Recognized as a CPA Fellow, Emily’s impact extends beyond the classroom, shaping future professionals and strengthening institutional reputation.

Laura Pickell

Department of Health Sciences
Faculty of Science

Laura is an educator dedicated to transforming post-secondary science education through student-centered and inclusive pedagogies. She integrates authentic projects such as Tiny Earth, a course-based research experience (CURE) that empowers students to conduct real discovery, and virtual reality (VR) to immerse learners in complex health experiences. These approaches inform her SoTL work, which examines how CUREs build science identity and support retention, and how immersive technologies shape learning and empathy in health education.

Rob Watters

School of Industrial Design
Faculty of Engineering and Design

Rob Watters is an approachable, forward-looking design educator who brings deep professional experience into an engaging, human-centered studio culture. His teaching emphasizes design’s responsibility to people, communities and the environment, positioning sustainability as a core value and evolving focus of his scholarship. Through mentorship, flexibility and real-world engagement, he supports students as individuals, helping them build confidence, navigate complexity and develop high-performing, socially responsible design work.

Carli Agostino

Access Services Librarian
MacOdrum Library

Carli oversees and supports many of Carleton University Library’s frontline services, including course reserves and library accessibility services. She has built expertise in alternate‑format production, strengthening the library’s capacity to provide high‑quality remediated accessible materials for visually impaired students and staff. Carli is a committed advocate for improved spaces, services and supports for students with disabilities and works provincially with other library colleagues to create collaborative learning opportunities that advance accessibility practices across academic libraries. She has led the addition of document‑accessibility standards into library digitization workflows, ensuring that materials shared with the campus community and beyond meet accessible document expectations. Her research explores the intersection of the physical female body, fatness and professionalism, as well as disability theory and its application to library services.

Matthew Gertler

Business & Government Relations Information Librarian
MacOdrum Library

Matthew teaches information literacy to students from early undergraduate to PhD levels principally in the Sprott School of Business. His goal is to help learners become sophisticated, independent information users who can critically evaluate and access a wide range of sources. These include academic and professional literature, government publications, reports, websites, financial data, survey results and aggregate statistics. He aims to equip students with the skills to find and assess information both within and beyond academic contexts. Recently, this has also meant guiding students to think critically about their use of Artificial Intelligence. He meets directly with students and faculty to help teach them to access information and data they need for their research.

Lane Bourbonnière

Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Lane Bourbonnière has taught FYSM 1450: Indigenous Resurgence and Reclamation since 2022, supporting First Nation, Métis and Inuk learners as they navigate university life. As Carleton’s Indigenous Curricula Learning Specialist and a Contract Instructor, her educational approaches emphasize empathy, community, and experiential learning through art, storytelling and reflection. Lane attempts to foster inclusive spaces where students build confidence, explore identity and connect academic learning to community empowerment, Indigenous resurgence and reconciliation.  

Sujoy Chatterjee

School of Public Policy and Administration
Faculty of Public and Global Affairs

While formally trained in law, Sujoy is fascinated by the moral philosophy behind public policy, a passion he actively explores with his students. Treating the classroom as a professional training ground, he coaches students to bridge the gap between abstract ethical theory and real-world implementation. His mentorship goes beyond traditional instruction, guiding aspiring leaders to build the critical judgment and practical skills needed to ethically shape tomorrow’s technology and governance.

Kalle Mattson-Wainio

School for Studies in Art and Culture, Music
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Kalle is a passionate and dedicated instructor who specializes in teaching both the craft and art of songwriting, with a special focus on navigating the modern music industry. As a Juno and Polaris Music Prize nominated singer songwriter, Kalle has over a decade of experience as a recording and touring artist, and brings this firsthand knowledge to the classroom, helping students develop their own artistic voice and professional skills for a career in the arts.  

Joshua Steckley

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Dr. Joshua Steckley is a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow who investigates unexplored “living commodities”—from bait worms to bull semen—to reveal how our economy shapes nature and labour. He translates this research into dynamic, experiential teaching that connects theory to everyday life, from kitchen fermentation experiments to field courses on urban ecology. Above all, he seeks to spark curiosity in his students and inspire new ways of seeing the world.