Aarthi Ashok receives President's Teaching Award
, in Թϱ Scarborough’s department of biological sciences, has received the President’s Teaching Award – the highest honour for teaching at the University of Toronto.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to have a broader impact on the culture of teaching at the university”, said Ashok, who previously received a UTSC Principal’s Faculty Teaching Award and a Թϱ Early Career Teaching Award. “My approach to teaching is in many ways a partnership with my students.”
Her unique approach focuses on developing students' skills in processing and integrating new information to help them achieve success on their own. She also developed community-based, experiential learning opportunities that were so successful they have been expanded to a broader STEM initiative involving instructors from environmental chemistry, mathematics and computer science.
Ashok mentors graduate and undergraduate students, and has produced more than 30 teaching-related manuscripts, workshops and presentations – many with student co-authors.
“What I learn from them every term is astounding – so definitely a shout out to my students to thank them for the amazing experience I’ve had as an educator.”