Susan Gingell

Master Teacher Award - Fall 1994

Professor Gingell received her Doctoral degree from the University of Toronto in 1977 and joined the Department of English during the 1977-78 academic year. She was tenured in the Department in 1980, and promoted to Full Professor in 1987.

Professor Gingell brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom and a love of learning which inspires student interest. She cares deeply about English Literature in general and her own field of specialization, Commonwealth Literature, in particular. Her first love, however, is poetry. Her contribution to the intellectual life and instructional function of the University includes the initiation and development of the Women's and Gender Studies program, chairing the Department of English's Graduate Committee, and contributing to the Women's Studies Research Unit. One of the goals of her involvement with women's issues on campus has been to create a more welcoming environment for female students, faculty and staff. She has been involved in the successful supervision of numerous graduate theses and has gained an international reputation as a scholar with an impressive and varied list of scholarly publications.

As a teacher, Professor Gingell requires students to think critically about the meaning and structures of texts and to interrogate an author's methodology and theoretical orientation. She has a remarkable ability to create a learning environment which is challenging without being intimidating. Her concern is that all her students have an opportunity to participate actively in their own intellectual development and she is sensitive to those who may be reluctant to expose themselves by speaking up in a large class. She is always sensitive to the issue of diversity, that is to the importance of including course materials that represent a variety of perspectives and is alert to the specific pedagogical needs of women, of Aboriginal students, and of other minority groups.