UPEI faculty member awarded Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Shannon Murray, a professor of English at the University of Prince Edward Island, has been awarded the Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).
STLHE created the Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to teaching, learning, and educational development in Canadian higher education. Murray received the award at the STLHE annual conference held in June.
“On behalf of UPEI, I congratulate Shannon on receiving the Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Dr. Greg Naterer, vice-president academic and research at UPEI. “Shannon’s dedication to excellence, leadership, and mentorship in scholarly teaching here at UPEI and on the regional, national, and international level make her a most deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”
Murray has won numerous awards for her dedication and leadership in teaching, among them the UPEI Presidential Award of Merit for Teaching (2014), the Atlantic Association of Universities (AAU) Distinguished Service Award for contributions to faculty development (2011), and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship (2001).
She was nominated for the award by Dr. Lisa Dickson of UNBC and Dr. Jessica Riddell of Bishop's University. Her profile on the STLHE website reads in part:
“Shannon Murray is an exceptional colleague, scholar, collaborator, and educational leader. Her lifetime contribution to teaching, learning and educational development in Canadian Higher Education is significant. As a 3M National Teaching Fellow, Co-Ordinator of the Fellowship, active member of STLHE and key figure in teaching and learning professional development in Atlantic Canada, she has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the culture of scholarly teaching and mentorship.
“Her passion lies in steering, mentoring, and advocating for others in order to make their work visible, valued, and celebrated. She created and funded the Janet Pottie Murray Award for Educational Leadership. As 3M National Teaching Fellowship Co-ordinator, retreat facilitator, and long-time adjudicator, Shannon ‘models the essence of what it means to be an outstanding fellow’ (Deb Dawson), providing effective leadership, mentorship and detailed individual attention to nominees and Fellows alike who are ‘inspired by her commitment, integrity and agency’ (2014 3M NTF cohort). She encouraged new Fellows ‘to think imaginatively about the kind of role we might play as a cohort, and she inspired us to become true ambassadors of the Fellowship in our respective institutions as in our everyday lives.’
“Shannon has published and given workshops, conference talks, and keynote addresses on critical hope and critical empathy in the classroom, threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge, teaching for creativity, learning communities, active learning and collaborative teaching, and experiential learning in the Humanities. A facilitator and leader in the Faculty Development Summer Institute for Active Learning since 2002, she has also served on the STLHE Board as Membership Chair and on the 3M National Student Fellowship committee, adjudicated the Brightspace and Alan Blizzard Awards, and chaired both the AAU Teaching Showcase and the 2005 STLHE conference. She was the Director of Faculty Development at her home institution for five years.”
Click here to learn more about Murray’s achievements.
