From: Trevor Young, Vice-President & Provost
Date: May 29, 2026
Re: 2026 Recipients of the President’s Teaching Award (PDAD&C #45)

I am pleased to announce that the Academic Board has approved five recipients of the 2026 President’s Teaching Award. The President’s Teaching Award recognizes excellence and innovation in teaching, classroom integration, and research in pedagogy. Recipients of the President’s Teaching Award are also designated as members of the President’s Teaching Academy for a period of five years.  

The Teaching Academy meets regularly to discuss teaching at the University and to provide advice to the Vice-President & Provost, as well as the Director of the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), on matters relating to excellence in teaching and pedagogy. 

The President’s Teaching Award recipients for 2026 are as follows: 

Mairi Cowan 
Professor, Teaching Stream 
Department of Historical Studies, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy 
University of Toronto Mississauga 

Robin Elliott 
Professor 
Faculty of Music 

Robert Irish 
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream 
Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering and Practice
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering 

Michael Reid 
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream 
David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics 
Faculty of Arts & Science 

Olivier St-Cyr 
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream
Faculty of Information 

The biographies of this year’s recipients are available online. 

I would like to thank the nominators for their support and care in preparing the recipients’ dossiers, and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning for their help in administering the award. I would also like to thank the members of the Selection Committee for their time, dedication, and thoughtful support in this process.