Jon Sufrin of the Department of Humanities in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and Canadian Studies Program coordinator was awarded a President’s University-Wide Teaching Award for his innovative and diverse teaching strategies, his mentoring of graduate students and the never-ending opportunities he provides for their involvement in research projects at the June 12 convocation ceremony. Sufrin not only teaches students, but promotes effective teaching and learning practices through workshops, inspiring TAs and Faculty colleagues.
“Sufrin is one of those individuals who has touched the lives of undergraduate students and faculty members and has transformed them by his dedication, passion and belief that teaching is one of the central pillars of a university,” wrote Professor Marcel Martel, holder of the Avie Bennett Historica-Dominion Institute Chair in Canadian History, in his nomination letter.
When he observed his teaching, Martel wrote that he “was struck by his ability to inspire students and to transform a topic into the most valuable issue for students to know and remember. His lectures are always well organized, amazingly interesting and engaging. His use of media and a variety of primary sources takes learning to a whole new level.”
Sufrin believes learning develops from two things – interest and understanding. “Stimulating interest leads to questions and to inquiry. Understanding helps one to see patterns in seemingly unrelated ideas, to conceptualize the world differently, and, by doing so, to grow as a human being,” he said. “I often think about learning in terms of Plato’s Cave metaphor – that learning leads us from a dark world where we see only shadows and understand only our own limited perspectives, and into a bright, open space where a wide world we never knew about is illuminated and our lives enriched.”