Over the past few months, the MBPGSA has been brainstorming with faculty ways to encourage and reward excellent demonstrations of teaching and mentorship within the department. To that end, the MBPSA would like to announce the inaugural Medical Biophysics Faculty Education Awards.

There are two awards available, each with the purpose of promoting and acknowledging excellence in teaching and student mentorship.

MBP Teaching Award

Who can receive this award

• University of Toronto Faculty member(s) that demonstrates a passion for education through MBP modules
• University of Toronto Faculty (both full-time and part-time) who have participated in MBP specific modules, in the 2018-2019 academic year, through instruction or coordination of the module are eligible

Eligibility

Nominations may recognize Faculty members who have excelled in the following criteria:

• Demonstrated excellence in teaching methodologies, outstanding course curriculum design, or course organization. This may include: improvements to course structure, content design and delivery, etc.
• Developed supportive learning resources, innovative classroom practices and/or education technology platforms
• Enhanced their teaching skills through ongoing professional development
• Dedicated to ensuring a scholarly approach to teaching which may be evidenced by the student evaluation method (i.e. is the course evaluated in a manner that promotes learning and content absorption)
• Ensured opportunities for student engagement and/or student-faculty interactions
• Enhanced the course content to ensure practical relevance to student research

MBP Mentorship Award

Who can receive this award

• MBP Faculty member (principal investigator or supervisory committee member) that demonstrates a passion for mentorship through graduate student supervision
• Currently appointed faculty (both full-time and part-time) who have participated in MBP graduate student supervision or supervisory committee are eligible

Eligibility

Nominations may recognize Faculty who demonstrate the following criteria:

• Demonstrated a major contribution to graduate student learning
• Employed enthusiastic and empathic critical appraisal of students’ work including paying careful attention to a critical path laid out for students' research
• Ensured timely assessment of students' research programs including program advisory committee meetings and prompt turnaround of written work
• Inspired and guided students to reach excellence in scholarship and/or fostered a strong sense of academic integrity
• Enabled students to learn the essential methodologies, concepts and cultures of their discipline while providing an environment that is supportive and stimulating
• Introduced students to the wider content of the discipline and relevant communities of scholars
• Positioning students for future careers both within and outside academe

Process for Award Nomination

All nominators will be asked to submit a brief description as to why the nominee is deserving of the award in a Google Form. Please note that these are two separate awards and students do not have to complete the nomination ballots for both awards.

Nominations will be closed after a two-week period. The nomination committee will sit and judge the applications, looking for quality of applications and will normalize by size of class.

Following review of nominations, the top 5 nominees will be informed that they have been selected and asked to submit supporting evidence including:

• Course evaluation summary
• Course syllabus
• Documentation of course development
• Documentation of extra-time, office hours, professional development etc.
• Letter of support from other faculty
• Course notes, course materials etc.

Nominees will be encouraged to submit more than one form of supporting documentation. Education Award Committee & MBP GSA Exec will be the selection committee to award the recipient.

We hope that this will be a good opportunity for students to show their appreciation for any excellent demonstrations of mentorship or teaching, and to encourage such behaviour for the future.

Our plan is to announce the recipients at Geneva Park, in September.