Here are the compiled nominations for the 2021-2022 Favourite Faculty members:
Aaron Ettinger (Political Science)
“He always makes sure to engage the class in discussion, and he is overall a super nice person.”
Abderahim Medjhoum (French)
“He goes above and beyond to make students happy, comfortable and teach as well. He’s always smiling and made the class environnement this year easy to meet people and make friends.”
Achim Hurrelmann (Political Science)
“He is always friendly, helpful, explains things well, interacts with the students, wants to hear our opinions, and is understanding of our lives.”
Adam Benn (English)
“He makes the class so much more fun and helps people feel comfortable in his class.”
Adam Stone (Cognitive Science)
“Nicest professor, entertaining lectures, fun class.”
Adriana Ross (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism)
“She is very passionate about the subject she is teaching. She truly pushes us to see things in a different way that we may have not previously considered. She shows interesting and relevant content in class. Her work that she posts on her Instagram inspires a lot of us and shows us what we can aspire to do.”
Ahmed Almaskut (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
“He goes above and beyond for his students and he is passionate about what he does. He also takes time to listen to his students, never rushes in his courses.”
Alberto Suarez Esteban (Biology)
“He is always a dynamic teacher, he encourages us to voice our opinions on any subject that pops up, the structure of the class really makes for an engaged and vocal learning experience. He is also really supportive of and excited for students when they share their experiences working or volunteering with organizations. He just really loves interacting with his students and sharing the course material as if it was a whole new world.”
Alexandra Telford (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism)
“She greatly supported me throughout the class.”
Andrew Wallace (English)
“Professor Wallace really cares about student success and takes the time to ensure full student comprehension as well as giving various opportunities to improve grades.”
“He has done absolutely everything in his power to make sure that his class succeeds. He gives up his valuable time every Monday and Wednesday mornings before class simply to explain concepts that people may be confused with. He also gives us numerous chances to improve our grades which is really appreciated. I’ve never had a prof care more about the success of their students. I know for a fact that the rest of the class feels this way too because the class discord simply raves about how much he cares about us and how thankful we are for him.”
Ayca Guler-Edwards (Psychology)
“They make every class enjoyable and are good at making class engaging. They also make me feel like all my issues are rational and my ideas are valid. It feels like she wants you to succeed.”
Barbara Leckie (English)
“Overall, she was a very open and constructive professor. She led amazing discussions in class and those discussions were both introspective and relevant, which kept everyone in the class engaged and interested. The course she led was hands down the best course I have taken so far, and I wish I can have her teach a future course.”
Brandon Fodden (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
“Definitely put in effort to make classes enjoyable and interactive even though they were pre recorded. Also, I had an introduction for one class which was amazing.”
Brett Hooper (Industrial Design)
“Brett makes it super easy to get engaged with the course and feel passionate about growing. He pushes us to go further and get better and has helped the whole class improve a lot over the term.”
Brigida Dionis (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“She always takes the time to let her students understand the new concepts and tries to give out dozens of examples to help new Spanish speakers understand new verbs.”
Christopher Motz (Psychology)
“Even though online asynchronous he was engaging and made the class fun. His class was one of the only online classes I was always excited for.”
“He has been my favourite so far because he was the perfect introduction into university. Even though we were online, he made sure his lectures and weekly check-ins were engaging and fun spirited. He was super helpful and understanding if you needed advice or help regarding the course. The kind of professor you want to have every year.”
“After I didn’t do well on a midterm exam, he responded with an extremely in-depth email on how I can improve and encouraged me exceptionally. He made me feel heard and motivated, it was something I’ll always remember. He gave me resources and skills I can use to improve in all classes. It was much appreciated.”
“A great person and amazing at what he does! Inspiring, that’s for sure”
Collin Fletcher (Law and Legal Studies)
“Created a comfortable environment, where information was easily shared and clarified.”
“While teaching during COVID times can be hard, Professor Fletcher has been extremely helpful in terms of giving it his all during the in person classes on Thursdays. This professor encompasses a teaching style that I believe all instructors should have. His attitude is motivating for students that strive to excel at all costs. Truly would take his class a thousand times over if I could.”
Danielle Kinsey (History)
“Dr. Kinsey is by far the most engaging profesor who makes waking up at 8:30 worth it. As part of the course is asynchronous and the other part is in person, she ensures her videos are engaging as well have an attached transcript to follow along. Her videos have been posted since the beginning of the semester and each week she releases an announcement introducing the week. Besides being incredible in the academic aspect of university, she genuinely cares about the success of her students. Each class she does a check in and ensures that we are keeping well and asks us how we are managing with the stress. One of the weeks she held a mental health/wellness presentation so we were made aware of the resources the school has for us. The way she promotes a sense of community in the class and cares about getting to know each individual is so unique and makes me feel very comfortable asking for advice or approaching her with a concern. I am so grateful to have her as my professor because I know she will hear out a concern and be able to provide feedback or advice on the matter.”
David Brock (Chemistry)
“He is very understanding and passionate about the course he teaches. He understands that the students might have a hard time with his course and he tries to make it as bearable and manageable as possible. He gives students opportunities to get marks other than on midterms and final.”
David Dwoskin (Law and Legal Studies)
“First-ever in-person class in University, a highly engaging and dynamic professor.”
Deanna Whelan (Psychology)
“Professor Deanna is very engaging with her students and ensures that there is an opportunity for success for each individual. She truly loves what she does and wants her students to thrive. She’s approachable, easy to talk to, and fosters an environment of learning.”
Deborah Landry (Sociology)
“She is committed to “decolonizing the classroom”, she is open to feedback, she offers to teach us what we want to know, and she is very understanding when we request extensions.”
“Professor Landry cares for her students and puts our well-being first. She has provided us with many resources that we can access if we’re struggling with mental health problems and she is very understanding when it comes to students different situations. She is a great professor and I loved taking her class and I can’t begin to explain how much I appreciate the steps she’s taken to make her course engaging and friendly for everyone.”
“Deb does such an amazing job with her live lectures, she is engaging and understands that students have a life outside of class that needs to be taken into consideration. She has always been extremely accommodating and uses unique grading methods to ensure the success of everyone in her class. I learned more from Deb this semester than I have from any of my other professors.”
Deidre Butler (Religion)
“Dr. B was amazing! She’s super passionate about what she teaches and it always comes across through the course content, even in an online course. She is always available for out-of-class conversations over email or in office hours. I was struggling a lot with personal issues this semester but Dr. B was incredibly accommodating which was really helpful for me! She also always adds a meme of the week to the modules which is really fun to look forward to :)”.
Denise DeShaw (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“They make me feel welcome in the class without being nervous”
Edgar Matida (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
“Amazing professor, very caring, great teacher and makes the class more enjoyable”
Erica Fraser (History)
“Very conscientious and she always made sure we were doing alright. I also found her lectures and readings very engaging.”
Eva Mackey (Indigenous and Canadian Studies)
“The classes are really good and our live zoom discussions are always fun to participate in.”
Frank Adou (French)
“They go out of their way to make sure that the class comprehends. Also, they are good at keeping the class engaged.”
Franny Nudelman (English)
“Franny is caring and so kind. She is the best professor I’ve ever had and she is an amazing collaborator. She is extremely educated and intelligent. Franny took me under her wing with the SaPP program and I have learned SO much from her. Truly an amazing professor and deserves this award more than anyone.”
George Harrison (Greek and Roman Studies)
“Their class was very engaging and I felt intellectually stimulated by it. The structure of the class made it easy to get through while still being a good challenge. The professor was also very helpful during office hours and never refused to assist or advise me.”
Geronimo Parodi-Matteo (Chemistry)
“He made the course incredibly engaging. His lectures were very entertaining and he made it clear what we needed to know. I also appreciated the background information he would provide on nearly every subject. He has a very calm and approachable demeanor and I’m sure it’s appreciated by many more than myself.”
“He truly cares about his students and goes out of his way to make sure they are doing the best they can. He offers so much support outside of class and just wants us to succeed. His lectures are interesting and engaging. He also offers good breaks throughout them!”
Gregory MacIsaac (Humanities)
“Prof. MacIsaac’s class is really engaging, and he cares about helping you do well in the course.”
“He is funny, engaging, and someone I really looked forward to seeing.”
Iain McKinnel (Biology)
“He is my favourite faculty member because he always helps us with our biology questions and is happy to explain any question we may have about the course or university life! And he is very enthusiastic about his course which makes me want to learn more about biology!”
“He’s a great teacher & very knowledgeable.”
“His lectures are amazing and he is very funny and sweet.”
Irwin Pressman (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
“He explains the concepts in a very simple manner and keeps cracking jokes to lighten the mood.”
Jack Vandenberg (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
“Just a real classy guy who cares about his students but also pushes us. He wants us to truly understand. I’ve had Jack for 2 years now and his classes are always the hardest but they’re also the ones I learn the most. Love going to his office hours, you can ask him anything and he’ll go into great detail explaining it to you. Very passionate about his job and students pick up on that energy and amongst everyone I know I’ve never heard a bad word about him. It takes a long time and hard work to be as well respected as he is. Thanks for all the help Jack!”
“Very clear lectures, friendly, interesting anecdotes and is really personable.”
James Cheetham (Biology)
“Occasional humor in his lecture videos always makes me smile. Watching his lectures is a nice break from all my serious, stone faced, Engineering professors. Shows pictures of his cats :)”
Jane Dickson (Law and Legal Studies)
“A great person and amazing at what she does! Inspiring that’s for sure”
“Class is never boring! She’s always making great jokes to help us understand the concept and put a smile on for her stressed students! Her office hours are also super helpful!”
Jason Jaskolka (Systems and Computer Engineering)
“He’s always available outside of class to meet me. He has been helping me for academic and non-academic concerns for the past 4 years. Very kind, and great at teaching course material.”
Jesse Lock (Physics)
“Overall nice person and good instructor.”
Joanne Farrall (School of Journalism and Communication)
“She is a teacher who understands how first year students work and she took her time to ensure that everyone understood what she was teaching. She made sure we were aware of the resources that were available to us and what to expect in the future here in University, which no other faculty member has done for me in my other classes :)”
Jody Mason (English)
“Prof. Mason is just amazing – she encourages a lot of discussion for our course content, which helps me a lot in understanding and considering multiple interpretations of the work. She is really passionate in her teaching and flexible to what students want; multiple times in the semester, she’s asked us what we thought of different elements of the course and has taken into account what we said, which was really helpful in organizing the course to make it the least stressful it can be for us. She definitely has the best structured online course I’ve seen in my year-and-a-half of online learning!”
Julie McCarroll (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“Because she is the teacher that pays the most attention to the student’s needs and teaches her subject in a way that makes it interesting.”
Karen Taylor (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
“Lectures are engaging. Really made me enjoy solving Dynamics questions in the textbook, and allowed me to appreciate the importance of physics.”
Kasia Muldner (Cognitive Science)
“She really takes the time to sit with you and problem solve in a way each student understands. She will often stay after class to answer numerous questions. She is always enthusiastic when students ask questions. She is very supportive of her students and their work. Her positivity is why I love her class so much and leads me to interact more during class.”
Katharine Bausch (Women and Gender Studies)
“Katie really cares about student engagement and takes the time to set up various opportunities to chat with her students.
“Katie is an extremely engaging, thoughtful, and compassionate professor. From day one, I found her class to be interesting and insightful. She always finds ways to make the course material relevant to our daily lives. Each new topic is approached in a nuanced way that encourages critical thinking. Furthermore, Katie takes great care to ensure that her class is accessible to everyone and puts the wellbeing of her students first. She constantly invites students to reach out if they ever need to discuss difficult topics and reminds them to take care of their mental health. Overall, her inclusive and empathetic approach creates an excellent learning experience. Her course has been by far my favourite this year and I hope that I can continue to take her classes!”
“She is my favourite faculty member because you can see clear as day that she truly cares about her job as a professor, and cares about the impact she makes on her students. She encourages students to reach out to her personally if they’re having any issues with the material, or if they have anything that they think could be beneficial to the course. She always puts the well-being of her students first, and you can see that she loves her job, and is very intelligent in her field.
Thank you for an amazing semester Katie, I’m looking forward to the next!”
Kathleen Lucas (Biology)
“Very inclusive, responsive and made my online first year more interactive and welcoming.”
Kathy Dobson (School of Journalism and Communication)
“Professor Dobson is my favourite faculty member because of her commitment to ensuring her students receive the best education possible despite the current virtual circumstances. She creates engaging content for her students to learn from and interact with along with always being available for questions about assignments or course material. She also provides constructive feedback that helps her students not only improve their work in the future, but also their writing overall. I’m very grateful to have had her for my course this term and I hope everyone who studies within the department has the chance to as well.”
Kirk Luther (Psychology)
“Best course of my second year, interesting, engaging and informative content. Loved PSYC2400B.”
Kyle Harvey (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
“I had Kyle last year in the fall semester for calculus and he was awesome, probably the best math class I have taken here so far! Even once I wasn’t his student anymore, I could still reach out to him for help and he would respond. He helped me get my feet off the ground in one of the classes this semester and I probably would’ve dropped the class if it wasn’t for him! He does a great job running the math help centre too! Definitely a place I can always lean on for a bit of extra help! He’s a great professor and he takes the time to care about his students!”
Liam O’Brien (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
“Liam cares very much about his students’ success.”
Mariana Esponda (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism)
“It is obvious that she is very passionate about her job and that she cares about her student’s success. She goes out of her way to ensure that everyone is doing well in her course and that it is as interesting as possible. She even organized a walking tour so that we could all see the buildings we have been studying throughout the semester.”
Mark Blekinsop (School of Mathematics and Statistics)
“For his engaging teaching style and his down to earth personality and lectures.”
Maseeh Haseeb (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
“Made the class super interesting and engaging”
“Because he is interactive and he cares! Not my teachers are like him, he teaches very well and is proactive.”
Matthew Sorley (Psychology)
“He made first year psychology so engaging and exciting”
Metin Yaras (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
“He puts in the extra effort to help students grasp the concepts in the course.”
Michael Runtz (Biology)
“Professor Runtz creates an exciting and welcoming class environment. His enthusiasm for the natural world and the material he teaches allows his lectures to be engaging and inspires his students to want to pursue natural history further.”
“Because he really cares about his subject and he teaches it engagingly even in a completely online class. I actually look forward to his lecture videos because he’s not monotone, makes jokes, talks animatedly and is just very engaged. I wish I had taken it in person because his class is enjoyable even behind a computer screen. Other teachers rush through concepts and are just boring and make online learning painful but the photos, examples and course material Professor Runtz provides are so cool.”
Milana Nikolko (Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies)
“She always had knowledgeable things to say about the subject, and her kindness throughout the course was greatly appreciated.”
Minjoon Lee (Economics)
“Love their teaching and break down of every formula, encourages asking questions during office hours and if there is a personal issue, he makes sure to do office hours online at least”
Miquel Reina Ortiz (Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism)
“This semester Miquel was my professor for Conservation Studio 2, as a student in conservation this was my first studio in a long time. Miquel has taught us a lot and is always swift to respond to emails, and he will research and email us references for our projects. Miquel is very passionate about conservation architecture and that shows in class. When Miquel gives feedback on projects he does it in a professional manner and kind way, you can see that he wants us to succeed and improve our work. Our class is 4 hours, and on Mondays he teaches another course right after so he is teaching from 1:30pm to 9pm. Overall, he goes above and beyond for his students and I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him making the best out of the courses he teaches despite the circumstances.”
Mirja Rotzoll (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
“Always present to help answer questions and even went above and beyond to explain content.”
Noel Salmond (Humanities)
“Professor Salmond is my favourite faculty member because his conversations are engaging and thought provoking. He is able to talk about many different topics and connect them in multiple ways such as the indigenous Americans creation myths and the Bible. He also makes sure that everyone accurately understands the course materials and adds in his own personal experiences.”
Pamela Wolf (Chemistry)
“She made chemistry class engaging and interesting even if I never interacted with her. She also made my less slightly less stressful by breaking up the midterm exam into 4 smaller cumulative quizzes :)”
“Creates a rapport and friendship with students while teaching with insight and logic (not just memorizing formulas are endless theory)”
Paul Goode (Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies)
“Creates an engaging environment in class and is easy to approach outside of the classroom.”
Peter Coffman (Art and Architectural History)
“His zeal to teach his students shows and he puts in a lot of effort to impact his knowledge. He teaches not only for the sake of it but he teaches so that his students understand and retain the knowledge. He loves suggestions on how to improve his teaching and he uses them. It shows very well.”
“He always asks for feedback, contact information is clear, questions and discussions are encouraged, and he’s very nice about giving us an appropriate workload with clear expectations (and some fun surprises in his lectures) :)”
Philip Ryan (School of Public Policy and Administration)
“He delivers very interesting and informative lectures!”
Randi Klebanoff (Art and Architectural History)
“Prof. Klebanoff is genuinely passionate about what she teaches and makes a great effort trying to share that passion with her students. It’s clear that teaching is more than just a paycheck to her, or even just sharing knowledge, she truly wants her students to appreciate art as much as she does and I admire that about her.”
Robert Burk (Chemistry)
“He pushes for us to have our chemistry tutorials in person, and he is always there to help us! His chemistry jokes are also kinda funny.”
“Because he clearly demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject matter and cares a lot about his students and their understanding, I didn’t like chemistry till I took his class.
“He is a great teacher. His tutorials are always engaging and informative. He is funny and makes chemistry easier to understand.”
Robert Collier (Computer Science)
“Dr. Collier put a ton of effort into his live lectures and took extra time to answer questions both about the content of the course and more in depth interest questions that went beyond the scope of the field. He also designed the course in a way which allows for some flexibility while still providing the connection and understanding only possible through live lectures.”
Robert Sirvage (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“Makes class content interesting and fun, always engages with students individually and as a group. Always tries to take in consideration different circumstances that may occur and tries his best to help any way he can.”
Roslyn Dakin (Biology)
“Professor Dakin is very understanding, compassionate, and accommodating to students’ needs. I didn’t expect a course on statistics to be interesting, but every aspect of her course content is engaging, includes real examples of interesting biological studies, and encourages students to enjoy learning about the topic rather than just memorizing math equations. Professor Dakin’s teaching style is excellent, and her course is the only one I don’t stress about because she does everything possible to help her students succeed.”
Ryan Hardy (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“He makes class fun and enjoyable. He also makes sure everyone knows that they are allowed to email him for help whenever they need it. He makes it easy to ask for help and doesn’t make you feel bad for doing so.”
“Mr Hardy is my favourite faculty member because he always makes sure classes are fun but also super informative. He teaches using lots of examples to help us learn, and his assignments are always very relevant to class material and help further our understanding.”
Sara Jamieson (English Language and Literature)
“She is sweet and understanding and explains the work in class so it all makes sense. She cares about her students’ mental health and she is a good teacher. She is there to help her students whenever they need it, and she understands that it’s hard right now to be doing school.”
Sean Eedy (History)
“Sean’s very engaging and keeps his students focused and entertained and never bored”
Shoeleh Shams (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
“Professor Shams has been one of the best, most dedicated professors I’ve had till date. She is extremely patient and cares about what the students are going through. Her classes have made the online experience so much better for me because she engages with all her students and tries to answer every single question.”
“Apart from being a very good professor, she goes above and beyond to ensure every student’s needs are met and has an overall very positive personality, which makes me look forward to attending class.”
Stephen Field (Industrial Design)
“He is just very energetic and makes class interesting and helps when we have any problems.”
Tonya Davidson (Sociology and Anthropology)
“Professor Davidson goes out of her way by planning class field trips and creating scavenger hunt assignments which really makes FYSM1506B a great class! Her lectures are always interesting and I find that she makes learning both fun and enjoyable.Her class is what I look most forward to every week!”
Troy Joseph (Economics)
“He helped me correct my mistakes.”
Umut Ozsu (Law and Legal Studies)
“Really generous and understanding when I asked for extensions and provided more than enough additional time! also had an adorable cat who made vocal appearances in his pre-recorded lectures!”
William Flynn (Sociology and Anthropology)
“He made online class super engaging and really helped me understand concepts”
“He is my favourite faculty member because he makes his lectures very easy to follow along with and explains things very well, all while making the class enjoyable! His assignments were fun to write as well! He took a lot of the scary stress away from my first year! He is a very nice guy and i enjoyed being in his class this term”
Hyounjeong Yoo (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)
“Professor Yoo has made this last semester a blast. I was able to learn so much while not even feeling like I was learning. Whenever I’m in class with her it feels like a breath of fresh air. While I do have to try hard, it doesn’t feel like my mistakes are going to weigh me down— she reassures me that it’s a new language and that we’re all learning. Her teaching style with lots of class interaction makes the class enjoyable and helps to keep us engaged during the two hour duration of the class. I hope 선생님 can get the recognition she deserves!”
Zach Patterson (Neuroscience)
“He makes the lectures super, super engaging – encouraging questions and going on tangents and feeling like a real person. This makes it less intimidating if I want to ask questions, and makes me more excited to learn. He also teaches the class in a way that makes studying and learning more manageable and organized, and includes a lot of fun bonus activities that break up the monotony of online lectures. My neuro courses have been the saving grace in adjusting to university life, and I find myself saving the lectures to watch last, as a treat for getting my other work done. This is one of the few courses where I feel seen as a person, a student in a classroom, rather than a set of numbers and a graded mark.”
“Zach Patterson is super kind and open with his students, and really goes above and beyond to make his class as interesting and engaging as possible. Even with online classes, he’s introduced live class discussions that have helped us stay connected and social through the pandemic. 10/10 prof and role model!”
Zeba Crook (Religion)
“Professor Crook is my favourite faculty member because he explains the concepts clearly, he ensures to interact with the students despite it being an asynchronous course. I also enjoy his humour and his passion regarding the course, it makes it very enjoyable!”
“I’m taking a class with Professor Crook (RELI 1710) and it is very well-organized, thoughtfully constructed, interesting and thought provoking, and has been my favourite class I’ve taken so far. He is incredibly knowledgeable and well-versed in the course material, and does a great job delivering sometimes confusing concepts in a clear and simple way. This class has really opened my eyes and introduced concepts in ways I could really understand them.”