Conestoga Professor Nancy Nelson has been awarded a 2020 3M National Teaching Fellowship, placing her among the ranks of Canada’s top educators for her exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at the post-secondary level.
Nancy Nelson has been awarded a 2020 3M National Teaching Fellowship, placing her among the ranks of Canada’s top educators.
Of the ten educators to be recognized this year, Nelson is one of only three from Ontario, and the only recipient from a college.
“Nancy is an outstanding example of a college educator and is very deserving of this award,” said Conestoga President John Tibbits. “For more than 30 years, she has demonstrated excellence in teaching at Conestoga to the benefit of her students, her colleagues and the college.”
An award-winning teacher and educator in Engineering, Nelson has long served as a leader and pioneer in the implementation of improved methodologies, including active learning, project-based learning, flipped learning, gamification and the implementation of educational technologies. She also has extensive experience in academic leadership, faculty development and mentoring, program design and curriculum development.
In 2016, she was recognized by Engineers Canada with the Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education, the first college professor ever to receive the medal. Colleges and Institutes Canada recognized her exceptional leadership skills with their Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty - Gold in 2017 for consistent excellence in teaching and making an impact on the personal and academic growth of students.
The 3M National Teaching Fellowship award, sponsored by 3M Canada and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), was established in 1986 to recognize outstanding educators who are not only excellent teachers, but also leaders at their institutions and within their professional communities.
“I’m humbled and honoured to be joining the ranks of such an esteemed and accomplished team of Canadian post-secondary educators,” Nelson said. “This recognition highlights our shared focus on teaching excellence and student success.”
Recipients of the award receive a lifetime membership for STLHE and are invited to a retreat with their cohort to share knowledge and create synergies to continue to promote leadership and excellence in teaching and learning.
This year’s inductees will receive their official welcome into the Fellowship at the Annual Conference of STLHE to be held in Ottawa in June.
For more information, visit the STHLE website