Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching
Professor Lionel Walsh
Professor Lionel Walsh (BFA, Windsor; MFA, Virginia Commonwealth) is an actor, director, and an Associate Professor of acting, improvisation, and character study. Currently, Director of the School of Dramatic Art, this Windsor Alumnus is currently researching the early work of Michael Chekhov in preparation for an experimental production of The Orphan Muses by Michel Marc Bouchard. He also appeared in August 2005 as John in Judith Thompson's Off the 401 at the Chekhov Festival in Amherst, Mass., and as the Narrator in King David for Soundsations, Windsor, ON, along with a variety of directing projects.
Professor Walsh is a supportive, committed, and encouraging advisor and teacher, dedicated to the development of student learning at all levels. His colleagues say his enthusiasm about teaching is evident in his students’ enthusiasm about learning. This gifted teacher has dedicated himself to developing a community among theatre educators through his participation with the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and the Council of Ontario University/College Theatre Programmes (COUCTP). Students and colleagues praise his genuine and inspiring passion for teaching and learning.
Professor Walsh’s teaching philosophy fosters a constructive and supportive academic environment: “I see myself as a facilitator of student learning and I seek to create an environment where young actors are safe to explore, fail, grow, and develop as independent artists. My classes focus on the development of the actor's creative imagination so that my students can approach a role confidently and with a solid technique that will serve to release their own unique inspiration.”
In addition to receiving the Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching, Professor Walsh was awarded the Alumni Association's Excellence in Mentoring Award (2005).