Laurentian University’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Shelley Watson to the position of Associate Vice-President, Learning and Teaching effective July 1, 2018, for a five-year renewable term.
“Dr. Watson knows the Laurentian community and culture and has made significant contributions over the years to making the University a leading institution in teaching excellence,” said Laurentian University Interim Vice-President, Academic and Provost Dr. Serge Demers. “It gives me great pleasure to formally announce this appointment.”
Dr. Watson was appointed to Laurentian University in July 2007 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and received tenure in 2011. She was the recipient of a Laurentian University Teaching Excellence Award in 2016, and the following year, she was promoted to the rank of Full Professor. Dr. Watson served as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies in 2016, was coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Health Master’s program, and was a member of the Laurentian University Strategic Plan 2018-2023 Steering Committee. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology in 2008 from the University of Alberta and a M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Brock University. Dr. Watson is currently the chair of the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities (OADD) Research Special Interest Group (RSIG) and a board member at ICAN Sudbury-Manitoulin.
Dr. Watson lead several key initiatives as Acting Associate Vice-President, Learning and Teaching, this past year, notably the creation of the Learning Commons, the organization of the University’s 1st Teaching and Learning Day, and the establishment of the Teaching Fellows program.
“Teaching and learning define us at Laurentian University,” said Dr. Watson. “I am proud to continue playing a leadership role at Laurentian and in the Centre for Academic Excellence, in promoting and supporting high quality teaching, as well as ensuring students have the highest quality learning experiences.”
The appointment of Dr. Watson was recommended after an extensive search by a 12-member search committee composed of Board members, faculty, students and administrators.