UC punches above weight at top teacher awards

Jason Tozer

11 September 2007: The University of Canberra showed it more than matches it with the biggest universities in the country with five academic staff being awarded Carrick Citations for outstanding contributions to student learning.

Margi Böhm, Amanda Burrell, Patricia Easteal, Anita Mak and Julie Posetti each received an elegant mounted certificate and $10,000 to help them continue their great work as part of their citations.

Professor Ryan, Ms Burrell, Associate Professor Mak, Professor Kayrooz, Dr Easteal and Dr Böhm attended the awards ceremony

Pro Vice-Chancellor (education) Carole Kayrooz and CELTS director Yoni Ryan attended the citation presentation at the Powerhouse Museum along with all the recipients except for Ms Posetti who is currently studying overseas.

Professor Ryan said the five citations was an enormous triumph considering the University's size.

"For a small university like UC to receive five awards is a real achievement," Professor Ryan said.

"We have 973 academic and general staff; Monash University received five citations from 6429 general and academic staff."

Dr Easteal feels her citation is a positive sign that the innovative learning methods she promotes to her students have worked.

"It means a lot to me that my classes seem to have a lasting impact on some people's lives," Dr Easteal said.

Associate Professor Mak has found the recognition from the citation has sparked wider interest in her study and research.

"This has given a bit of profile to my research-led teaching and training on cross-cultural awareness and social skills," she said.

Dr Böhm has plans to use her cash prize to further her resources and encourage more students to take on statistics as a unit.

"I am really proud of what I have achieved with the statistics unit and figured that if Carrick could see past the inherent dislike of mathematical units by most students, then it was truly an award worth winning," Dr Böhm said.