MacEwan University’s Teaching Awards celebrate faculty members who provide exceptional learning environments for their students. This year, two faculty members will receive the Early Career Teaching Excellence Award, and two are being recognized with the Teaching Leadership Award.
“MacEwan is proud to celebrate the achievements of instructors who are relatively new to teaching with us, as well as instructors who have laid the groundwork for others to follow,” says Dr. Craig Monk, provost and vice-president, Academic. “We continue to grow as an institution and do so through the contributions of exemplary colleagues. Congratulations to this year’s honorees!”
The Teaching Leadership Awards will be presented as part of the Fall Convocation ceremonies in November.
Meet the recipients
Teaching Leadership Awards
Dr. Melissa Hills
Department of Biological Sciences
A recognized leader, Dr. Melissa Hills has helped shape policy, curriculum and faculty development at MacEwan and beyond. The recipient of a Distinguished Teaching Award (2024) and current Chancellor’s Research Chair (2024-2026), Dr. Hills has been guiding students through their studies in molecular biology and genetics for almost two decades. She has presented scholarship on universal design for learning at national and international levels and acts as a mentor for undergraduate students – many of her peer-reviewed publications are co-authored by student researchers.
Robert Andruchow
Department of Design
As Design Department Chair (2018-2026) and lead creating the Bachelor of Design program, Robert Andruchow has been instrumental in building the largest BDes between Vancouver and Toronto. He was a co-lead in creating Alberta’s first major in Digital Experience Design (DXD) and Canada’s first upskilling DXD Certificate and co-led the design and implementation of five out-of-faculty minors, innovative initiatives that will prepare students to meet the demand for skilled DXD designers in one of Canada’s fastest growing fields. Through his research and as a member of government and industry associations, Andruchow has also shaped policy regarding design and technology.
Early Career Teaching Excellence Awards
Kealey Dube
Department of Social Work
At the heart of Kealey Dube’s teaching philosophy is her commitment to creating an inclusive environment where every student feels welcome regardless of background or ability. She incorporates a “students as partners” approach where collaboration is stressed from the beginning of the first class right through to evaluation. Dube has been an assistant professor at MacEwan since 2021, has received a number of research grants and is actively involved with many professional associations. Her students regularly describe her commitment to personalized support as a key to their academic success.
Soni Dasmohapatra
Department of Arts and Cultural Management
Soni Dasmohapatra integrates arts-based approaches into her teaching, empowering students to connect theory with practice. She is also committed to inclusive and experiential learning, drawing from her 30 years of experience in government, higher learning and non-profit sectors nationally and internationally. Dasmohapatra has a proven track record as a cultural administrator at municipal and provincial levels in Alberta and Ontario, as well as internationally. Her research interest is to build capacity for students to explore and obtain professionalization as arts and cultural administrators.