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Nature of Award

The award is presented to one graduate student acting as a Teacher's Assistant in the lab. The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding contributions made by a graduate student in their demonstrating term, both inside and outside the scheduled laboratory period.

Nomination Criteria

The criteria for the "best T.A." award include:

1. ability to convey lab material clearly and to provide necessary guidance in the lab
2. accessibility to students outside of lab period
3. enthusiasm for teaching

Nomination Procedure

All undergraduate students are informed of this award and are asked to submit nominations of one T.A. to their class reps.

Selection Process

Nominations are reviewed and tallied by the DSC executive. The T.A. with the highest number of nominations is selected for the award.

Presentation of Award

The winner is presented with a certificate and a gift at the Annual Biology Banquet. Their name is also announced in "This Week in Biology" (a weekly publication distributed within the Biology department).

Past Winners

2024 - 2025 Allen Tian
2023 - 2024  Allen Tian
2022 - 2023 Troy Martin
2021 - 2022 Caelan Johnson
2020 - 2021 Not awarded this year
2019 - 2020 Not awarded this year
2018 - 2019 Jesus Varagas
2017 - 2018 Brigitte Simmatis
2016 - 2017 Hilton Chiu
2015 - 2016 Stephanie Kim
2014 - 2015 Not awarded
2013 - 2014 Jason Campbell
2012 - 2013 Jordan Brooks-Gauthier
2012 - 2013 Jordan Brooks-Gauthier
2011 - 2012 Tara Vanderveer
2010 - 2011 Andrew Lowles
2009 - 2010 Mark Conboy
2008 - 2009 Grace Tharmarajah
2007 - 2008 Joanna Yeung
2006 - 2007 Richard Morrow
2005 - 2006 Gary Armstrong
2004 - 2005 Brenda Saunders
2003 - 2004 Gary Armstrong
2002 - 2003 Michael Kim
2001 - 2002 Amy MacDougall
2000 - 2001 Shaun Killen
1999 - 2000 Jeff Dawson
1998 - 1999 Heather Bullock
1997 - 1998 Kirby Duffy
1996 - 1997 Karen Holder
1995 - 1996 Deb Hume
1994 - 1995 Patrick McGinn
1993 - 1994 James Fatheringham
1992 - 1993 Andrew Pirie
1991 - 1992 Kate Duff
1991 - 1992 Barb Zeeb
1990 - 1991 David Kelly
1990 - 1991 Gordon Whitney
1989 - 1990 Stephen Murphy

Nature of Award

The award is given by the Biology Departmental Council and is to recognize a professor for their excellence in teaching.

Nomination Criteria

The main criterion for the award is the effectiveness of the teaching manner and mechanisms in class. Other criteria include the instructor's enthusiasm for course material, the ability to convey information clearly and approachability (in and out of class).

Nomination Procedure

At the time of evaluations, all undergraduate students are informed of the award and are asked to submit nominations of one professor to their class reps.

Selection Process

Nominations, as well as course evaluations, are examined. The professor with the highest percentage of nominations, supported by positive evaluations, is selected for the award.

Presentation of Award

The winner is presented with a certificate and a gift at the Annual Biology Banquet. Their name is also announced in "This Week in Biology" (a weekly publication distributed within the Biology department). Generally, this professor is also nominated for the "Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching".

Past Winners

2024 - 2025 Stephen Lougheed
2023 - 2024 Paul Grogan
2022 - 2023 Paul Martin
2021 - 2022 Paul Grogan
2020 - 2021 Not awarded this year
2019 - 2020 Not awarded this year
2018 - 2019 Virginia Walker
2018 - 2019 Adam Chippindale
2017 - 2018 Bruce Tufts
2016 - 2017 Virginia Walker
2015 - 2016 William Nelson
2014 - 2015 Vicki L. Friesen
2014 - 2015 Peter T. Boag
2013 - 2014 Christopher Eckert
2012 - 2013 Daniel Lefebvre
2011 - 2012 Paul Grogan
2010 - 2011 Stephen Lougheed
2009 - 2010 Chris Moyes
2008 - 2009 Virginia Walker
2007 - 2008 Stephen Lougheed
2006 - 2007 Christoph Richter
2005 - 2006 Adam Chippindale
2004 - 2005 Wayne Snedden
2003 - 2004 Adam Chippindale
2002 - 2003 Stephen Lougheed
2001 - 2002 Katherine Wynne-Edwards
2000 - 2001 John Smol
1999 - 2000 Katherine Wynne-Edwards
1998 - 1999 Laurene Ratcliffe
1997 - 1998 John Smol
1996 - 1997 Heather Proctor
1995 - 1996 Chris Eckert
1994 - 1995 Ken Ko
1993 - 1994 Katherine Wynne-Edwards
1992 - 1993 Aylward Downe
1991 - 1992 David Layzell

Nomination Criteria

This award recognizes an individual within our community of Biology teaching personnel who has demonstrated excellence in effectively motivating undergraduate and/or graduate students’ learning. Their approach may include meaningful and dynamic curricula, powerful use of traditional pedagogy, or novel teaching methods, and may apply to lecture, seminar, lab practical, or outdoor learning experiences. Furthermore, she/he/they will have displayed a deep knowledge of their field of expertise, and a real interest and commitment to their students’ academic development. The nominee may have demonstrated these qualities of teaching excellence within the previous academic year alone, or over several years. In addition, this award is also for nominees with much longer teaching service whose dedication and sustained valuable contributions to the undergraduate and graduate community in the Department of Biology seem to have been overlooked by existing awards (e.g. DSC, Barnes, Alumni).

Eligibility

The nominee will be considered for contributions of at least 6.0 units of teaching in the Biology Department, including field courses. Eligible candidates will normally be either a faculty member (including adjuncts) with a primary appointment in Biology, or a Biology lab instructor or other staff member who has been teaching regularly over the last three years.

Nomination

Nominations by peers who are either faculty or lab instructors are particularly encouraged, but self-nominations are also welcome, along with suggestions by the Head of Department, Associate Head, and Chair of Undergraduate Studies. To nominate someone, simply e-mail their name to Rachel the Undergraduate Administrative Coordinator (rachel.batson@queensu.ca). Although not required, the nominator is encouraged to provide 1-2 sentences outlining the nominee’s specific noteworthy contributions (-and such text will be included with the nominee’s application file).

The nominee should submit:

• an overview summary of no more than two single-spaced pages outlining their teaching philosophy and approach, and describing their specific contributions to teaching excellence in Biology. For team-taught courses, nominees should be careful to specify the precise nature and extent of their individual contribution to that teaching excellence.
• a list of all courses taught in the last three academic years and their role in each course.
• a list of courses developed as new preparations or substantially upgraded in the last three academic years, with a brief description of the activities undertaken in each course.
• optionally, the nominee may provide a table summarizing QSSET (and/or other teaching survey) evaluations. Please include class size and the survey response rate, and make sure that the summary covers all courses taught in the last three years, and not just highlights.

Evaluation

The BETA will be judged by a panel normally consisting of at least the Head, Associate Head, Undergraduate Chair, a Lab Instructor, and the Department Student Council Co-Chairs (or delegates for the panel). In the event that a judge is nominated for the award, she/he/they will be replaced by another member of the UGSC.

Key Dates and Presentation of the Award

Nominations deadline is Friday March 13th, 2026, with nominee’s application packages due the last business day of March. The award, consisting of a plaque and a cheque for $500 will be presented at the May Staff Meeting.

Past Winners

2024 - 2025 Maria Aristizabal
2023 - 2024  Ian Chin-Sang
2022 - 2023 Jannice Friedman
2021 - 2022 Paul Grogan
2020 - 2021 Jannice Friedman
2019 - 2020 Adam Chippindale
2018 - 2019 Virginia Walker
2017 - 2018 Not Awarded this Year
2016 - 2017 Kenton Ko
2015 - 2016 Not Awarded This Year
2014 - 2015 Barbara Vanderbeld
2013 - 2014 William Nelson
2012 - 2013 Stephen Lougheed
2012 - 2013 Paul Grogan

Nomination Criteria

This award recognizes an individual within our community of Biology teaching personnel who has been developing and using particularly innovative curriculum content and/or teaching methods to effectively motivate undergraduate and/or graduate students’ learning. She/he/they will have displayed a deep commitment to improving the learning environment of our students, along with a thorough knowledge of their field of expertise. She/he/they may have developed and implemented new courses, new laboratories, new field experiences, or new programs that add to the diversity and range of learning opportunities for Biology undergraduate or graduate students. Alternatively, she/he/they may have made major revisions to existing courses, or provided other novel but more informal learning opportunities that demonstrate a long-standing commitment to our students’ education (e.g. regular statistics workshops, specific experiential activities related to Biology and/or I-EDIAA in general, or Biology-focussed extracurricular initiatives).

Innovations may be technical, philosophical, or involve novel extensions of the curriculum via exploration of new fields of study, but in all cases tangible recent contributions and evidence of their effectiveness in “motivating undergraduate or graduate students’ learning” are expected. The term ‘innovation’ is to be considered broadly. For example, it can range from: i) conventional changes that an instructor has made to a course when they have taken it over (altered content, approach, etc.); ii) significant updates to a course that the instructor has been teaching for some time to make it more challenging and engaging for students; iii) comprehensive re-invigoration of an existing course involving substantial new material and new diverse approaches; iv) initiation of a totally new course with clearly novel, cutting-edge, content and pedagogy; to v) the testing and implementation of radically new, distinctive and unique approaches to teaching, learning and/or their assessment.

Eligibility

The nominee will be considered for contributions to teaching in the Biology Department within the last three academic years. Eligible candidates will normally be either a faculty member (including adjuncts) with a primary appointment in Biology, or a Biology lab instructor or other staff member.

Nomination

Nominations by peers who are either faculty or lab instructors are particularly encouraged, but self-nominations are also welcome, along with suggestions by the Head of Department, Associate Head, and Chair of Undergraduate Studies. To nominate someone, simply e-mail their name to Rachel the Undergraduate Administrative Coordinator (rachel.batson@queensu.ca). Although not required, the nominator is encouraged to provide 1-2 sentences outlining the nominee’s specific noteworthy contributions (-and such text will be included with the nominee’s application file).

The nominee should then submit:

• a summary of no more than two single-spaced pages describing and explaining the specific novel teaching innovations that have been made. For team-taught courses, nominees should be careful to specify the precise nature and extent of their individual contribution to that teaching innovation.
• a list of all courses taught in the last three academic years and their role in each course.
• a list of courses developed as new preparations or substantially upgraded in the last three academic years, with a brief description of the activities undertaken in each course.
• optionally, the nominee may provide a table summarizing QSSET (and/or other teaching survey) evaluations. Please include class size and the survey response rate, and make sure that the summary covers all courses taught in the last three years, and not just highlights.

Evaluation

The BITA will be judged by a panel normally consisting of the Head, Associate Head, Undergraduate Chair, a Lab Instructor, and the Department Student Council Co-Chairs (or delegates for the panel). In the event a judge is nominated for the award, that individual will be replaced by another member of the UGSC.

Key Dates and Presentation of the Award

Nominations deadline is Friday March 13th, 2026, with nominee’s application packages due the last business day of March. The award, consisting of a plaque and a cheque for $500 will be presented at the May Staff Meeting.

Past Winners

2024 - 2025 George diCenzo
2023 - 2024 Susan Yates
2022 - 2023 Diane Orihel
2021 - 2022 Not awarded this year
2020 - 2021 Paul Martin
2019 - 2020 Barb Vanderbeld
2018 - 2019 Paul Martin
2017 - 2018 Fran Bonier
2016 - 2017 Paul Grogan
2015 - 2016 Not Awarded This Year
2014 - 2015 Robert Montgomerie
2013 - 2014 Ian Chin-Sang
2012 - 2013 Christopher Eckert
2013 - 2014 Paul Martin
2014 - 2015 Robert Montgomerie