Since 2018, Lang has celebrated the excellent work of our instructors with the Paul MacPherson Teaching Award of Excellence for a full-time faculty member (tenure track/contract), and the Casey Cosgrove Teaching Award of Excellence, for a sessional instructor. The aim of these awards is to recognize Lang instructors for their excellence in teaching and learning. This year Lang had numerous applications for both awards, all of which were of exceptional quality. This reflects the effort Lang instructors put into their courses and the dedication they have for supporting students’ learning and wellbeing. It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2022 Teaching Award of Excellence winners.

Rob McLean, Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies, is this year's recipient of The Paul MacPherson Teaching Award of Excellence. Rob applies continuous learning to his curricula and provides up-to-date research and evidence in each course to support student learning. This ongoing research means that the content of each class he teaches is continuously evolving, reflecting best industry practices right now. This past year, Rob developed and launched a brand-new course, Sales in a Digital Age, and partnered with Shopify to create an experiential and high-quality learning experience for Lang students. His nomination package contained many letters from students, discussing the positive impact and focus on active learning that Rob brings to his teaching. One of his students had this to say in their supporting letter:

“Above all else, what makes Professor McLean such a significant figure in many of our academic careers is that he fiercely believes in the potential, skill, and knowledge of each of his students. He teaches at the intersection of challenging and supportive, always willing to give his time and knowledge to help students achieve their goals. There is simply no other way to put it; Rob McLean is the pillar of student academic experience at Lang. His courses have been the single most influential aspect of my undergraduate degree, and he fully embodies the very essence of this award –excellence in teaching.”

Congratulations to Rob and thank you for your efforts in providing excellent teaching and learning experiences for Lang students!

Scott McRoberts, School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, is this year's recipient of The Casey Cosgrove Teaching Award of Excellence. As an instructor, Scott’s approach to teaching and learning focuses on providing learning opportunities and supporting his students. Outside of the classroom, Scott has connected students to industry partners and facilitated internships and experiential learning opportunities. Throughout his sport management courses, he brings real-world scenarios into the classroom and gives the class real-life case studies where they can reach out to leaders at Lang and in the community. A former student had this to say about their experience:

“As a professor, Scott didn’t see himself as having power over the students, he saw himself as having the power to empower students… He didn’t just teach to teach, he taught because he loves teaching and using his platform to make a positive impact on the students’ lives. Scott was always telling stories from his own life that related to class content and tried as hard as possible to keep the students engaged in the lecture.”

Congratulations Scott and thank you for your commitment to creating impactful learning environments for Lang students!

The Teaching Awards of Excellence at Lang are awarded annually, with applications normally due sometime in May. For more information, and to read about past winners, check out the Lang teaching and learning website [1].