Susan McCahan

Cindy Gouveia

                 
                                                   2019 Angela Hildyard Recognition Award Winners
 
​                                                                   Influential Leader

Susan McCahan is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. Prof. McCahan is currently the Vice-Provost Academic Programs and the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education at the University of Toronto.

She received her B.S. (Mechanical Engineering) from Cornell University in 1985. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as an Associate Engineer with RCA/GE before returning to university to complete a M.S. and Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  She joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto in 1992.  She was appointed to the Chair of First Year in 2006 and moved to the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate position in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering in 2011.

Susan McCahan is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of contributions to engineering education.  She has been the recipient of several major teaching awards including the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, the Alan Blizzard Award for Team Teaching, the University of Toronto President’s Teaching Award, the OCUFA Teaching and Librarianship Award, and the Medal of Distinction in Engineering Education from Engineers Canada.
Prof. McCahan’s research was originally in the field of energy systems and, in particular, the thermodynamics of multi-phase systems.  However, more recently her work has been in the field of Engineering Education, which aligns with her administrative portfolio at the University.  She has published in the area of Universal Instructional Design and more recently on learning outcomes for skill development and valid assessment methods for measuring learning outcomes. Her research examines the learning environment as a designed system, and takes an engineering design approach to reimagining the learning experience. She worked with others on the founding of the Collaborative Specialization in Engineering Education program at the University of Toronto, and the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice.  She teaches a large first year design course, which uses a community-engaged learning approach.  Prof. McCahan and a group of colleagues collaboratively designed the course in 2002.  She is also the lead author of a textbook in this field: “Design Engineers; an Introductory Textbook”.

In 2010 she became a founding member of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACEG).  She has served as a Regional Representative for Ontario on the board, and President of the Association.  She currently serves on the board of the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), and the board of Toronto Finance International (TFI).  From 2013 to 2018 Susan was a member of the review panel for the NSERC Chairs in Design Engineering (CDE) program.  In addition, she has served on the Advisory Board for the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, one of the few departments of its kind.

Her current administrative portfolio revolves around reimagining the undergraduate academic experience across the university and touches into quality assurance processes, pedagogical innovation programs, educational technology and academic data systems, curriculum renewal, course evaluations,  teaching support and development, and experiential learning. 

                                                              Emerging Leader

Cindy Gouveia is the President of the George Brown College Foundation, a registered charitable organization that serves as the primary fundraising vehicle for George Brown College. Herself a product of the Canadian college system, Cindy is committed to student access and success in higher education and to ensuring that no student is denied an education at George Brown College due to financial need.

In meeting this challenge, Cindy has focused on nurturing relationships between Toronto’s business community and the College, connecting them to unique and best-in-class programs in areas such as hospitality and the culinary arts, construction and engineering, early childhood education, and transitions to post-secondary education.
Cindy’s leadership style promotes a culture of respect, innovation and commitment to achieve team success. In her capacity as the Foundation’s president, Cindy has used this same strategy to build a diverse and high-performing team that has effectively increased support towards student scholarships, capital projects, research and programing upgrades.
Cindy’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is readily apparent in the direction of support the George Brown College Foundation has acquired over the years. Under her leadership, the Foundation has sourced funding in support of students dealing with mental health and addiction issues through programs like Transitions to Post-Secondary Education and the Augmented Education which prepare participants for post-secondary education and employment respectively. It also secured funding in support of Indigenous students through George Brown’s Centre for Preparatory Studies as well as funding for skills upgrading of women in traditionally male trade fields by way of the Women Transitioning to Trades Education program. Perhaps most significantly, Cindy has focused her activities into increasing scholarships ensuring that no students are denied an education at the College due to financial need.

Cindy has placed much emphasis on community engagement to promote student success and gain support for students in need. She has consistently sought to partner with third-party fundraisers within the community, such as, the Open Kitchen of Toronto to host a dinner series in support of female culinary management students, and the members of Toronto’s Bangladeshi community to host the 2nd United Bangla Festival 2018 in support of scholarships for George Brown College students.

In 2018 she completed her PhD. in Higher Education from the University of Toronto. Her pioneering thesis focused on determining whether fundraising is an emergent profession. She has published peer-reviewed articles in College Quarterly Publication (Resource Development in Ontario’s Colleges – What’s the Future? and The Future Fiscal Needs of Ontario’s College System: Total Resource Development & Strategic Philanthropy, in 2016 and 2014 respectively). She also holds an MBA in Hotel and Food Administration from the University of Guelph, Adler International Coaching Certification (levels 1-3), a diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Administration from Centennial College and completed Level I of the Canadian Board Diversity Council Board Governance Education Program.

Cindy is also the recipient of several awards, including the Diversity Scholarship 2014 (Association of Fundraising Professionals), Emerging Leader Winner 2013 (Ontario Colleges Administrative Staff Association), the Diversity Recognition Award 2009 (George Brown College) and the Dorothy Britton Scholarship for Academic Excellence 2003 (University of Guelph).

                                       About the Recognition Awards

​SWAAC RECOGNITION AWARDS

The annual Angela Hildyard SWAAC Recognition Awards, of $1,000 each,  recognize an influential and an emerging leader who have continually demonstrated innovative and impactful leadership in advancing the mission of, and achieving outstanding contributions to, their institution and/or to higher education.  A donation will be made on each recipient’s behalf to an institution of their choice, in the form of a contribution to an endowment or fund that supports students, or to a registered charitable organization supporting educational initiatives. 

Eligibility

All SWAAC members in post-secondary institutions.

Influential Leader Selection Criteria

Evidence of leadership, through:

• Rich and meaningful contributions at an institutional, community and/or system level
• Demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of institutional vision, mission, values and major goals
• Improving the educational experiences of post secondary students at all levels  
• Promoting and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion within institutions
• Engaging the community of institutional stakeholders
• Communicating a vision and commitment to new initiatives and continually contributing to innovation
• Demonstrating exemplary support for administration and/or teaching and research endeavours, and held in high regard by colleagues, staff, students and faculty
• Fostering positive and lasting impact on the department/division/institution, colleagues, faculty, students and alumni
• Consistently and demonstrably coaching and mentoring the next generation of Canadian educators by providing them with the opportunity, inspiration, and/or best practice tools to pursue professional excellence
• Enhancing the experience of peers by employing innovative techniques to motivate, mentor and inspire others to realize their potential
• Providing students with academically challenging, exciting, well-taught programs

Emerging Leader Selection Criteria

Evidence of leadership, through:

• Demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of institutional vision, mission, values and major goals
• Promoting and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion
• Demonstrating leadership on the engagement of the community in relationship to  institutional priorities
• Communicating a vision and commitment to new initiatives and continually contributing to innovation
• Held in high regard by colleagues, student, staff
• Recognized as an outstanding and inspiring mentor within the institution

Each nomination must address the key areas that form the basis for nomination

The nomination should be accompanied by a one page summary and two letters of support from senior colleagues, one of which is written by a constituency that has benefited from the work of the nominee.

The deadline for submission of nominations: March 15, 2021.

The Selection Committee shall be the elected members of the Executive.

Nominations for the 2021 award must be sent via electronic mail to:

Donna Kotsopoulos
SWAAC Secretary General
Huron University College (Western University)
swaacadmin@utoronto.ca