Associate Professor recognised for excellence in teaching with national award

UWS Associate Professor Tonia Gray has been recognised with an award for Teaching Excellence this week at the annual Australian Awards for University Teaching(opens in a new window).

The ceremony was held at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday evening. The prestigious awards, which recognise the nation's most outstanding university teachers, were presented by Senator the Honourable Scott Ryan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education.

Associate Professor Gray received her award in the category of Social Sciences in the discipline of Teacher Education.

UWS Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover congratulated Associate Professor Gray on her win.

"These awards celebrate teachers renowned for teaching excellence, who have outstanding presentation skills and have made a significant contribution to enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in higher education," says Professor Glover.

"I am sure the University of Western Sydney community will join me in warmly congratulating Tonia on her outstanding achievements."

In acknowledging her award, Associate Professor Gray says it is students who provide the best motivation for a teacher to perform at the highest level.

"They say that 'great teachers inspire students'-- but I believe the opposite is also true: that 'great students inspire their teachers' -- and I have been fortunate to have some students who pushed me, provoked me, and ultimately transformed me at least as much as they were transformed," she says.

The awards are administered by the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT), and fall into the following categories:

• Teaching Excellence (16 awards)
• Programs that Enhance Learning (8 awards)
• Career Achievement Award (one award)
• Australian University Teacher of the Year

Each award is valued at $25,000, with the Australian University Teacher of the Year receiving a total of $75,000 to further their teaching.

The award recipients were also congratulated by Minister for Education, the Honourable Christopher Pyne, MP.

"I would like to congratulate all the awards recipients who achieved excellence in their chosen fields and made a tangible and lasting difference to students and to higher education learning and teaching," he says.

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11 December 2014

Media contact: Lyn Danninger, Media Officer