A number of UBC faculty of medicine members have been honoured with the Killam Teaching Prize and Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for 2021/2022. The yearly awards are offered from the Killam Endowment Fund to faculty and teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching.
Teaching Prize Recipients:
Dr. Sarah Finlayson, department of obstetrics and gynaecology
Dr. Finlayson has received numerous local, national and international awards, including the Mike Turko Award for Surgical Teaching, the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology award, the Carl Nimrod Educator Award, and the Bobby Miller Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has also been the lead voice and educator in the successful opportunistic salpingectomy campaign for ovarian cancer prevention.
Dr. Kurt Haas, department of cellular and physiological sciences and School of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Haas directs a research lab from which graduate students and postdoctoral fellows launched their careers as leaders in academic science, medicine and industry. Dr. Haas has made profound impact on the UBC community by developing a science research internship program for Indigenous undergraduates, as well as the NeuroImaging and NeuroComputational Centre within the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.
Dr. Michael Krisinger, department of biochemistry and molecular biology
Dr. Krisinger has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate students since he joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2011. His efforts have helped foster the development of new intellectuals, empowering students to thrive in the health science and research fields.
Dr. Tracy Tucker, department of pathology and laboratory medicine
Dr. Tucker has displayed a passion for teaching since joining the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 2010. She strives to create an inclusive and empowering learning environment. Dr. Tucker holds local and national educational leadership roles to enhance genetics training for pathology residents, BMLSc students, Canadian College of Medical Genetics fellows and practicing pathologists.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Recipient:
Todd Kamensek, department of ophthalmology and visual sciences
Todd Kamensek is a graduate researcher in the Neuroscience of Vision & Action Lab and a doctoral candidate in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Since 2017, Todd has held eight TA appointments and taught more than 700 students at UBC. Todd’s extraordinary teaching skills and contributions have also been recognized by the Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award presented by UBC Psychology. This award celebrates a passion for teaching, as exemplified well by Todd’s approach to instruction.