Alison Thompson, Acting Associate Dean, Academic, with Assistant Professors Certina Ho and Andrea Swanson, and Michael Saikali
Four professors at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy have been chosen as the 2025 Professors of the Year. Certina Ho, Andrea Swanson, Michael Saikali and Scott Walker each received the award, which recognizes their outstanding contributions to teaching and support.
The Professors of the Year are selected by students, with each cohort voting for the professor they would like to recognize.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
Class of 2T6: Certina Ho
“I am honoured and humbled to be recognized by students with this award. I enjoy the time spent with students. I find that students have fresh minds who are eager to learn and explore the profession. I also appreciate that students are giving me the momentum to learn more about myself, the profession, and move forward with my own lifelong learning and continuing practice and professional development. I have been very fortunate that I was able to fulfill my belief in teaching and practice in a collaborative and mutual-learning approach with students at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.”
Class of 2T7: Andrea Swanson
“I enjoy helping students make connections between course content and clinical practice and getting them excited about their future careers. I always learn from my students; when they share their questions, experiences, struggles and successes with me, I become a better teacher.
It is very humbling to receive this recognition from the 2T7 class. The second-year curriculum is challenging, but I am able to watch the students learn and apply clinical knowledge over the course of the year. As pharmacists and teachers, we can model and practise the same respect and empathy we provide to our patients with our students in the classroom, and I am grateful for the opportunity to provide support and guidance and be part of their journey toward becoming pharmacists.”
Class of 2T8: Michael Saikali
“Watching students have that ‘aha’ moment where you can just imagine a lightbulb turning on is the most satisfying part of this job. It hits twice as hard when it’s with a topic that a student believed they would never understand.
I am honoured to be recognized by this award. I put a lot of effort into creating an environment that makes students feel like the concepts they’re learning are not out of their reach. It makes me so happy to know that these efforts resonated so much with the class.”
PharmD for Pharmacists: Scott Walker
“It is an honour to be recognized by the student-pharmacists in this program. I hope I have been able to give each student, who is already busy with a job and family, the motivation and encouragement in an academic environment to try to solve a problem or understand a new or previously frustrating concept. I also hope that I and this program have given them tools and taught them how to handle questions and problems that they face in their practice. Their questions have helped me understand their learning processes, and I truly enjoy being part of their learning experience.”
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