Where would we be without teachers?

Most of us have been taught by at least one educator who inspired us with their knowledge, changed the way we saw the world, and helped us believe in ourselves—even when we didn't.

That's why, every year, Lakehead honours outstanding faculty and staff members whose commitment to teaching helps their students excel.

Read on to meet Lakehead's most recent award recipients and discover why these educators deserve a round of applause.

Distinguished Instructor Award Recipient

Dr. Sam Salem
Civil Engineering

"Teaching with purpose—inspiring minds and shaping futures—is my foundational principle. Even if my day has been tough and I'm feeling exhausted, once I'm in the classroom and see the excitement in students' eyes, my tiredness disappears."

Favourite Class to Teach:
Any class that is practical and interactive, emphasizing real-life applications over theory alone. I often use visuals, real engineering examples, and open discussion to simplify complex concepts and engage students. By encouraging questions, ethical awareness of public safety, and hands-on learning, I help students connect classroom knowledge to real-world structural engineering with a strong sense of responsibility.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
"Even though it's wonderful when my students get good grades, what makes me most proud of them is when they try hard and ask questions. It shows me that they want to learn. For me, teaching is a work of the heart. You have to love what you teach in order to inspire students."

Contribution to Teaching Award Recipients

Dr. Davut Akca
Interdisciplinary Studies (Criminology)

"I love teaching because it allows me to share my knowledge, research, and professional experience with new generations while learning alongside them. It is deeply rewarding to witness students grow, gain confidence, and find their career paths. Teaching also keeps me intellectually engaged and up to date in my research field.

Favourite Class to Teach:
One of my favourite classes is the highly hands-on Investigative Interviewing course. Students apply evidence-based interviewing techniques, conducting mock interviews in a separate classroom while their peers observe and later provide structured feedback. It allows students to experience professional-level skill development.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
Consistent student feedback highlighting the practical and engaging nature of my courses. One student wrote: "Dr. Akca is a great prof and clearly explains the course materials." Comments like this affirm my belief that—in an era of easy access to information—creating meaningful opportunities to apply knowledge is what truly supports student learning and professional growth.

Dr. Ahmed Elshaer
Civil Engineering

"I enjoy helping students see the real world through engineering. The classroom becomes a place where curiosity grows, ideas turn into projects, and students start thinking like problem solvers. Teaching allows me to guide them through challenges and share the excitement of learning."

Favourite Class to Teach:
Either Wind Engineering, Engineering Optimization, or Artificial Intelligence. Wind Engineering is inspiring because students learn how wind interacts with real structures and how engineering decisions shape resilience and safety. Engineering Optimization and Artificial Intelligence empower students to solve complex problems using modern tools and data-driven thinking.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
Students often mention that the clarity and energy in the classroom helped them succeed in courses they once worried about. I've had students explain that my teaching helped them choose engineering as a career path with confidence. It means a lot to know that one of my courses changed how they see themselves and what they believe they can achieve.

Dr. Kathryn Walton
English

"I love being able to create courses that not only teach students fundamental skills and ideas, but also inspire them to think deeply and intricately about English literature, its history, and its continued relevance today. Most of all, I love being able to interact with students on a day-to-day basis in the classroom."

Favourite Class to Teach:
I love teaching children's literature because students come into class with very set ideas about what it is (purely simplistic and fun). I tear down that assumption with an intense critical, historical overview of children's literature from the Middle Ages to today. It's very rewarding to get students to think more deeply about these seemingly simplistic works and how much attitudes towards children have shifted.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
I am proud of any and all student engagement, but I am most proud when students are inspired to pursue graduate studies because of my teaching and materials.

Brian Weishar
Education

"My courses involve a lot of social interaction. I think it's important to build a community within the classroom. So one of the things I love about teaching is seeing the connections and discoveries that come out of that social interaction. It's a real gift to be a part of that."

Favourite Class to Teach:
"Each course offers something special. In the Classroom Management, Evaluation and Planning course, we spend a good portion of the time thinking about and practicing how to design learning. This feeds into the teacher-candidate placement. I get to 'follow' some of the students out into their placements, as a faculty advisor, and see them transfer what they've learned into action."

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
When teacher candidates come back from placement, after they've been in my course, and share the things they applied when they were out in the field. I love seeing the impact that they're making on their own as learners.

Other Contribution to Teaching Award Recipients:

Kaitlin Adduono, Nursing
Professor Tenille Brown, Law

Teaching Innovation Award Recipients

Mohit Dudeja
Education

"I love teaching because it enables me to transform learning into a creative, political, and collective experience. It allows me to design learning environments that question dominant narratives, centre underrepresented voices, and invite students to interrogate how power operates in our own lives and communities."

Favourite Class to Teach:
My favourites are activism courses, such as Gender & Climate Activism and Sexual Activism & Politics, that take unconventional and justice-oriented pedagogical approaches that position students as political actors rather than observers. Activism is a survival practice for me. I have been a fighter from an early age, and the battles I have lived through shape how I teach."

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
At the end of our 2025 Activism in Education play, the room echoed with claps and many were in tears. It wasn't the kind of emotion that comes from performance alone, but from recognition. Students had seen their lives, struggles, and unspoken truths reflected back to them.

Dr. Taryn Klarner
Kinesiology

"What I love most about teaching is the relationships. I care deeply about my students as people first, and I always try to position myself on their side. Together we face the course material and assignments. When students feel seen, safe, and supported, they're more willing to get involved and engage with everything."

Favourite Class to Teach:
Any class where I can use hands-on, experiential learning. I've found that learning really comes alive when students can touch, experiment, move, and engage. Hands-on activities—like our KNIT innovation—help break down barriers, build confidence, and make the content feel meaningful.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
When students tell me that they feel genuinely supported and cared for in my classroom. Hearing that reminds me why this work matters so deeply because when students feel supported, they're not just getting through school, they're learning to believe in themselves and their potential. This is our highest calling as teachers.

Professor Larissa Speak
Law

"I hope that my teaching practices help build the capacity for settler students to better understand Indigenous perspectives and laws. I also really value the relationships I've built with Indigenous students—their contributions shape my teaching practices."

Favourite Class to Teach:
Indigenous Perspectives because it has a land-based learning component—the Gaa-maada'ooniding Law Camp. This class gets all of us out on the land and engaging with local knowledge holders about treaty history, respect, medicine teachings, and language. I'm very grateful for our partnership with the School of Indigenous Learning (SOIL), which makes this class possible.

Proudest Teaching Accomplishment:
After my first year teaching, an Indigenous law student gifted me an eagle feather to recognize my contributions to teaching at the law school. As a new instructor, this was a very encouraging and generous gift, grounded in Anishinaabe practices. I continue to care for this feather and to bring Anishinaabe practices and knowledges into my teaching.

Other Teaching Innovation Award Recipients:

Kristen McConnell, School of Nursing

Teaching Support Award Recipient:

Adam Humeniuk, Teaching Commons

Congratulations to all the 2025 recipients of Lakehead's highest teaching honours!