Alan Wright.

A lifetime achievement award for his contributions to teaching, learning and educational development in Canadian higher education is a thrill, says Alan Wright, vice-provost, teaching and learning.

The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education will bestow its 2013 Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award on Dr. Wright during its conference in Nova Scotia this June.

In making the award, the society called Wright “a steadfast, passionate, ground-breaking advocate for teaching improvement in Canadian universities” and noted his innovative approach to the field.

“He has worked to bridge the divide between Canada’s two linguistic and cultural solitudes, building networks between francophone and anglophone educational development communities,” reads the citation. “Throughout his career, he has brought Canadian and international academic developers together, to ensure that national initiatives are informed by the international context.”

Wright says he is “thrilled to receive this honour” after some 20 years working on university curriculum and teaching enhancement projects in three different institutions in Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award is great for the University of Windsor because it draws national attention to and recognition for our considerable collective efforts, over the last several years, to innovate and to improve the quality of higher education in our environment in southwest Ontario,” he says.

Read more about the award and view past recipients on the STLHE website.