Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Lynne Young Award, Laura Macmillan and Mohsen Jazeb. The selection committee received a number of strong applications this year but according to the committee these two stood out in terms of academic excellence and merit.
The awards were announced by Dr. Trudy O’Brien at Friday’s SALaDS Symposium. Dr. O’Brien, who retired from SLaLS several years ago, was a long-time friend and colleague of Lynne. She was joined virtually in the award ceremony by Lynne’s daughter Laura.
About Laura Macmillan
Laura is a second year MA student in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies. She is passionate about the power of literacy teaching and learning in fostering a more equitable society and is currently pursuing thesis work related to educational discourse and student choice of high school program. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Bachelor of Education in secondary French immersion, science and English education. She has worked as a teacher in her native Nova Scotia and in Seoul, South Korea. Her experience led her to consider the important role of student and teacher attitudes towards language and literacy in shaping a learner’s self-image and educational trajectory and has inspired her thesis work. While at Carleton Laura has continued teaching through her work as a T.A. in the French and ALDS departments, as an elementary school tutor and through her summer work as an outdoor educator with Parks Canada.
About Mohsen Jazeb
Currently, I am a full-time student doing my second semester in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies. My proposal and research respond to the rapidly changing technological reality we, as educators and researchers, find ourselves in. Although my research idea stems from my 10-year experience as a professional ESL/EFL instructor, the results of my research can also contribute to the enhancement of our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion by offering cutting edge instructional delivery to students around the world and in Canada. My study addresses a very critical skill at university level – argumentative writing.