Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
Citations recognise and reward the diverse contribution that individuals and teams make to the quality of student learning. Citations are awarded to academic, professional and teaching associates, and institutional associates, who have made significant contributions to student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period. In 2019, the Faculty introduced a new citation to acknowledge the vital contribution of Teaching Associates.
2025 Dr Sadia Alvi (Sessional Academic)
Dr. Sadia Alvi has made a meaningful contribution to Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences education at Monash University through her thoughtful and student-focused teaching. She has been involved in a wide range of units, working with large groups of undergraduate and postgraduate students from diverse backgrounds. She has facilitated workshops, lab classes, and recently been part of OSPE Examiner to strengthen applied learning outcomes. Her teaching draws on her background in pharmacy and Drug Discovery Biology research to help students understand how scientific principles apply to pharmaceutical and professional settings. By embedding guided enquiry and active learning, she encourages students to think critically and engage deeply with the material.
Through her engaging and inclusive teaching methods, Sadia has helped students build confidence in approaching complex topics. She regularly introduces case-based and discussion-driven activities that connect theory to real-world practice. Students consistently report that her sessions are clear, motivating, and relevant to their future careers. Colleagues and supervisors have also recognised her collaborative spirit and teaching innovation, leading to opportunities to contribute to teaching at the other universities in Melbourne and Ballarat. Passionate about student success, Sadia continually refines her teaching based on feedback and evidence-based approaches, helping students build confidence, curiosity, and readiness for their future careers in healthcare and science.
Her ability to simplify complex topics by breaking them down into clear, understandable parts. She consistently elaborated on key points to ensure we fully grasped the material. – Anonymous student feedback
She makes you think critically. She won’t give you the answer straight away but instead encourages you to break down the question and work through it step by step. – Anonymous student feedback
2025 Pranav Runwal (Sessional Academic)
Pranav has been recognised for his transformative contributions to student learning through the innovative use of artificial intelligence in education. Since joining Monash University in 2023, Pranav has rapidly emerged as a leader in AI-enhanced teaching, developing CustomGPT tools and feedback assistants that have improved learning outcomes, boosted student confidence, and streamlined assessment across multiple units. His teaching style blends cutting-edge technology with authentic, real-world application, helping students prepare for an AI-enabled future while feeling deeply supported in their academic and professional growth. Praised by students for making difficult concepts accessible and for creating inclusive, engaging learning environments, Pranav’s initiatives have now been adopted across faculties at Monash and other universities. He has been invited to present nationally and internationally, with his work described as both “eye-opening” and “truly enlightening” by educators and academic leaders alike.
“Captivating and deeply relevant… Pranav engaged a diverse audience and translated complex ideas into practical strategies educators could adopt immediately.” – Prof. Chris Thompson
2025 Dr Yassmin Samak (Early Career)
Dr Yassmin Samak is recognised for her innovative redesign of Discovery materials in the Master of Pharmaceutical Science. In response to rapid enrolment growth and limited lab capacity, she introduced a scaffolded approach that integrates Labster virtual simulations with authentic bench-based experiments. This enables students to rehearse key protocols in advance, arrive confident and well-prepared, and engage in higher-order reasoning and peer collaboration during lab sessions.
The redesigned approach transforms laboratory time from procedural step-following into a space for applied learning, critical thinking, and discussion. It also reduces stress and supports an inclusive environment, allowing students to progress at their own pace.
Students report increased confidence, deeper conceptual understanding, and improved execution of lab techniques. One student reflected: “During my interview, I highlighted the skills I developed under your guidance… studying mRNA lipid nanoparticle...”, evidence that this approach equips students not only for the classroom, but for their future workforce.
2025 A/Prof. Karen J. Gregory, Dr. Stefan G. Huth, Ms Cheng Sun (General)
Experimental Investigations – creating, devising and defending research ideas in a generative AI world
This award recognises the innovative, programmatic and authentic curriculum developed and delivered by the MPS5203 teaching team. Informed by real world professional values and practices of pharmaceutical scientists, their teaching and assessment approach focuses on feedback, research integrity and innovated written assignments through guided use of generative AI.
Learning and teaching activities are centred on a “learning through doing” approach as MPharmSci students create, refine and ultimately publicly defend a research proposal they have developed. Structured active-learning workshops are coupled with dedicated time to discuss and progress their independent ideas. Importantly, teaching activities are aligned with how students approach crafting their research ideas and developing a proposal aligned to best practice guidelines. A focus on feedback to aid student learning involved strong engagement with peer review and creating a dialogue with educators through responding to reviewers. Students relished the opportunity to develop their own ideas, strongly valued the feedback process, and adopted generative AI tools with no impact on performance. The team’s approaches and evidence have been shared with colleagues with an ongoing research project exploring the impact of generative AI tools.
2025 Dr Daniel Priebbenow, A/Prof Karen Gregory, Dr Manuela Jorg, A/Prof Lauren May, Dr Thao Vu, Ms Annie Ugbobuaku-Roys (General)
Enhancing Feedback Literacy through Authentic Assessment Design
This team award recognises the innovative contributions to the implementation and evaluation of an authentic integrated assessment designed to enhance feedback literacy amongst the student cohort within the Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Feedback literacy (an understanding of, and active engagement in the feedback process) empowers students to improve their learning by critically assessing feedback and implementing strategies for self-improvement. To enhance feedback literacy, we integrated authentic, real-time opportunities for students to give, receive, and evaluate the feedback process within a multi-component written assessment.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of this integrated assessment confirmed that students developed improved feedback literacy skills leading to immediate impacts on student learning outcomes. Students also reported a greater appreciation of the critical role that the feedback process plays in producing high-quality work and an increased confidence and willingness to transfer these skills beyond the classroom and proactively seeking out feedback in future professional roles.
2024 Dr Suzanne Caliph, Dr Angelina Lim, Dr Megan Waldhuber, Dr Nilushi Karunaratne, Associate Professor Dan Malone (General)
This team award recognizes the innovative contributions to design, development and implementation of an accelerated-learning bridging curriculum that enables recent science graduates to complete the pharmacy degree in two years. The learner-centred curriculum incorporates a blend of online modules and on-campus applied sessions including hands-on workshops and laboratories, designed using active learning strategies to develop essential knowledge and core professional skills.
The alternative entry pathway has been evaluated and proven to deliver student outcomes and achievements equivalent to those of the traditional entry pathway. It provides graduate entry students of diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences with a faster route to becoming pharmacists, addressing healthcare shortages and meeting the increasing demands of healthcare services. The success of this pathway stems from its flexible, supportive and inclusive environment, with teaching and learning activities and resources that promote student learning and success. This is evident through high course completion and employment rates, strong student evaluation scores, positive testimonials and endorsements from students, staff and alumni and peer-reviewed publications.
2024 Narges Mahdavian (Sessional Academic)
Narges has been recognised for enhancing student learning and engagement through innovative curricular design together with basic and clinical research expertise. Narges joined Monash University as a Teaching Associate in 2021 where she has since rapidly expanded her scope of education practice. She has gained recognition for her experience across multiple areas including pharmacy practice, clinical trials and gastrointestinal preclinical research. She has been sought out for her expertise to teach in 17 units across all coursework degree offerings at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Narges draws on her extensive background in pharmacy and research to drive impactful curriculum design and provide an engaging learning environment.
Her innovative approach includes simplifying complex topics and incorporating interactive methods such as the “muddiest point” technique, which significantly enhances student understanding and engagement. Narges’ teaching approaches are always evolving, where she adapts and improves curriculum and her teaching approach, based on student feedback. Her dedication to student learning is also evident in her evolving teaching roles and the positive impact she has had on the student engagement and the overall student
experience.
“You focus on students’ strengths as well as their weaknesses, and that you do not judge them, makes everyone feel at ease, and lets us ask our questions without the fear of getting judged.” – student feedback
2023 Joaquin Sanchis Martinez (General)
During the first semester of 2020, the pandemic abruptly changed the teaching model in our Pharmaceutical Sciences course, forcing the synchronous on-campus component to a completely online shift. Consequently, this change deeply affected the students’ engagement. To address this urgent situation, Dr. Joaquin (Ximo) Sanchis created the "Chain Reaction Model." The model began by fostering initial connections through micro face-to-face interactions early in the semester. This rapport was seamlessly extended through online activities, creating a self-sustaining engagement growth like the energy liberated in a chemical chain-reaction. Consequently, lecturer-student and student-student interactions in the virtual environment were enhanced.
With the restrictions being eased, Dr Sanchis has refined the chain reaction to the current educational blended flip-classroom model to create engagement and bidirectionally transfer it from the online to on-campus planes and vice versa.
This adaptative chain-reaction model has been applied to a final year organic chemistry unit for three years now and led to a constant increase in the student perception of the staff accessibility, feedback quality and engagement of the students in this unit. In addition, the student satisfaction with the learning process made this unit purple each year regardless of the teaching modality.
2023 Angelina Lim (Early Career)
Dr Angelina Lim has recently taken over unit coordination of the unit "PHR3141 Pathogens and Host Defence and Treatment" and made several changes to revamp the unit and enhance student learning. Some of these learning innovations included using the addition of gamification (virtual escape room), more authentic assessments, more interactive applied sessions that relate to real-world cases. Under Angelina's leadership, the unit recently won the Purple Award in Sem 1, 2022 which is based on high Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) reports. The unit's main goal is to teach the appropriate use of antimicrobials, empowering pharmacists to exercise antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and support the fight against antimicrobial resistance which is a global health crisis. Students from this unit have commented on how engaging Angelina's teaching was and how the learnings from this unit have been translated to practice. Key quotes below:
- “ I really enjoyed this unit to the point where I am now practicing AMS regularly in my community pharmacy - thinking about dose, appropriateness and engaging in shared decision making” - PHR3141 student 2022
- “This was my favourite unit and I still advocate for AMS in my community pharmacy” PHR3141 student 2023
- “I finally know what all the antibiotics are used for and how I can help with their appropriate use” PHR3141 student 2023
Angelina has been commended for her unit coordination and student centred care with SETU reports stating - "Angelina is a brilliant coordinator, very supportive and kind to all students" PHR3141 2023
- "Angelina really helped to make the unit enjoyable while teaching us important topics to know as a pharmacist in training" PHR3141 2022
This unit was well supported by expert clinicians such as Tarik Al-Diery, Lauren Crawley, Ali Haider and Sunanthiny Krishnan who have all been commended by students for their exceptional contributions to teaching.
2023 Zoe Porter (Teaching Associate)
Zoe has made a significant mark at Monash University, starting her Teaching Associate journey in 2020. Her commitment to inspiring and motivating students has been unwavering, and her energetic approach has garnered recognition across the institution. Zoe's diverse teaching portfolio spans pharmacy and pharmaceutical science units, where she utilises a range of innovative methods to engage a diverse student body. Her ability to create a meaningful and applicable learning environment, underpinned by a holistic teaching philosophy, has resulted in enhanced student understanding, confidence, and motivation. Zoe's dedication extends to program development and the redevelopment of teaching materials, reflecting her commitment to student success both inside and outside the classroom.
2022 Steven Walker
Steven Walker has been awarded for his design and implementation of a novel unit of study focused on teaching therapeutic reasoning in the context of acute care conditions (PHR3042: Acute Care - Inquiry Cases).
The PHR3042 unit was designed using three core elements to strengthen the therapeutic reasoning skills: team-based learning, authentic simulation and hospital practitioner-educator engagement. Team-based learning is a specific pedagogical approach that leverages peer-learning and active learning techniques to improve knowledge retention, problem solving and reasoning skills. Students were assigned acute care cases using a simulated electronic medical record (EMR), a first for Australian pharmacy education, to provide an authentic experience of working in an acute care setting. To ensure that students were learning from practitioners working in the field, Steven also created and managed teaching arrangements between the faculty and four major teaching hospitals. These practitioner-educators coached students during facilitated workshops and lectures to help encourage the development of student therapeutic reasoning skills.
The PHR3042 unit was well received by students with a median SETU satisfaction score (out of 5) of 4.6 from 2019-2021. When surveyed, 97% of students agreed/strongly agreed (484/500) that their therapeutic reasoning skills improved as a result of this unit. Techniques used within this unit have been shared at national and international conferences (6 x oral presentations, 2 x posters) as well as a peer-reviewed article for the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.
2022 Jae Pyun (Teaching Associate)
Jae joined Monash University in 2018 and since then he has enthusiastically and wholeheartedly developed as a member of the teaching staff who has gained recognition for his positive energy and engagement to inspire and motivate students to learn. He has utilised a broad range of teaching methods to make students curious about the complexity and fascination of how the human body works in health and disease and how we as pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists are able to discover, design and implement therapeutics for these conditions making an impact on the wider community. He strives to provide a conducive learning atmosphere to intrigue students to know that what they learn is meaningful, important and most pertinently, applicable in aspects of their career aspirations.
“Jae had shared his own stories about research and what he specialises in, and his positive and welcoming nature made asking questions easy in classes. This helped students engage more in workshops as well as see where our careers could take us. Jae was very knowledgeable within labs and always seemed prepared, usually being the first TA that I would think of reaching out to" – anonymous student feedback
2021 Joaquin (Ximo) Sanchis - Early Career
Dr Joaquin (Ximo) Sanchis was acknowledged for designing and establishing an innovative stepwise approach to build rapport with students as a mechanism to enhance student engagement and motivation for online learning.
The approach utilised individual micro face-to-face interventions to create an initial rapport with the students and generated the seed to initiate a “chain reaction”. The newly built rapport was then transferred to the online space through various learning activities. As in a chain reaction, the rapport grew without the intervention of the lecturer and improved the lecturer-student and student-student interactions in the virtual plane. This connection with students was effectively used to influence, motivate and inspire students to learn in an online flipped classroom format.
Based on formal and informal feedback, the experience and motivation of students to learn online was improved after implementing the ‘chain-reaction’ model. Analytical indicators revealed strong student engagement and satisfaction with the learning process.
2021 Rita Wardan (Teaching Associate)
Rita Wardan has been awarded a Citation for her Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2021. Using her clinical pharmacy expertise in addition to incorporating technology to enhance students' learning, she inspired and motivated students to learn about the pharmacy profession in an open and safe environment.
Rita has over 12 years of Teaching Associate experience in addition to being a practicing Clinical Pharmacist for the last 14 years which includes 12 years specialising in women's health. She draws on her extensive clinical and teaching experience to provide an exceptional learning experience for her students. Rita actively encourages students to ask open and honest questions about sensitive women's health issues to ensure they have an in-depth understanding of women’s health related topics. More recently, Rita has utilized online pharmacy specific simulation tools such as MyDispense to help facilitate a more real world and timely history taking experience for students.
Rita is motivated by her desire to help foster the next generation of competent and motivated pharmacists.
2020 Cornelia Landersdorfer, David Shackleford, Yassmin Samak and Joseph Nicolazzo
A/Prof Cornelia Landersdorfer, Dr David Shackleford, Dr Yassmin Samak and A/Prof Joseph Nicolazzo were recognised for the design and implementation of innovative dynamic simulations and their applications to real-life scenarios, in particular in a skills-based and employability-focused new drug delivery and pharmacokinetics unit. This innovative approach to teaching pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics was not used previously at the Faculty and addresses a gap identified with traditional purely calculations-based teaching. The engagement of students with interactive dynamic simulations using authentic industry-standard software, and their application to drug development scenarios in workshops and team-based assessments enhanced student learning, as evidenced by formal and informal feedback. The students were able to link and apply complex concepts and demonstrate this in the assessments and exam. The developed teaching approach also gained national and international interest through conference presentations and invitations to teach workshops.
2020 Nguok Ngie Su (Teaching Associate)
Dr Nguok Ngie Su has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to student learning through fostering local and international student engagement as a Teaching Associate.
Dr Su uses a range of teaching methods to engage both local and international students and cater to their specific needs during face-to-face and Zoom online sessions. She utilises the teach-back method to engage students and guides students through the problem-solving process to ensure students become independent learners. Her empathetic and honest approach helped create a safe, positive and nurturing environment enabling students to learn. Dr Su’s ability to speak languages other than English (particularly Chinese) enabled her to provide unique support to a vulnerable group of international students during the extraordinary circumstances of 2020.
“Her dedication, hard work and constant effort to bring the essence of knowledge to students is amazing. I cannot say much more than thank you to express my sincere appreciation.” (Student’s feedback)
2020 Annie Chen (Teaching Associate)
For over 10 years, Annie Chen has combined her love for teaching and her experience as a clinical and community pharmacist, to inspire and grow students to problem solve independently and become exceptional pharmacists. She fosters a safe learning environment, where students build confidence and grow with constructive feedback.
Annie is dedicated to improving the way Monash University develops educational programs to enhance student learning experience and engagement. She adapted to changing circumstances and used innovation to curb any disruptions to student face to face learning due to the onset of COVID-19. Annie built interactive, practical case studies through virtual simulation on MyDispense for a PHR2042 diabetes workshop, which enhanced students’ learning experience, empowering them to develop skills which they can confidently apply in practice.
In recognition of the impact of Annie’s teaching she was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2020.
2019 Betty Exintaris
Dr Betty Exintaris was acknowledged for her leadership and contribution to the design, development and delivery of teaching activities and supporting resources in a first year Pharmacy course unit, How the Body Works.
Betty draws on her extensive teaching experience to deliver an innovative, interactive and effective unit that enhances student learning, experience and outcome. Students are able to demonstrate learning outcomes indicative of knowledge and skill attainment, which makes them ideally situated to be able to extend their understanding to clinically relevant disease states in practice.
2019 Carmen Abeyaratne (Teaching Associate)
Carmen Abeyaratne is a Teaching Associate who draws upon her extensive experience as a practising pharmacist to enhance and optimise student involvement in small class activities. In recognition of the impact of Carmen’s teaching she was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2019.
Through her work in undergraduate and postgraduate education for pharmacists, Carmen aspires to create an inclusive and safe learning space for all students. Carmen’s enthusiasm and passion for the pharmacy profession serves to inspire her students to strive for excellence in their studies and the practice of pharmacy.
2019 Linda Hong (Teaching Associate)
Linda Hong has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to student learning in 2019 as a Teaching Associate. Through consistent feedback and an approachable persona, a positive and comfortable learning environment was maintained to promote independent learners.
Linda has provided feedback in many different forms. Verbal and written feedback was given at the start of class and after assignments so students were aware of how to improve in future. Additionally, positive encouragement was given to students to reinforce their confidence to be student leaders within their teams and assist their peers. Problem solving was continually questioned through Socratic conversations so students could come to appreciate why more efficient methods were taught. All the while, Linda maintained an approachable persona, allowing students to comfortably request for more feedback or clarification. The feedback and explanations were well received by students who also engaged in Socratic conversations within their teams.
2018 Jen Short
For her role in embedding a written communication skills diagnostic into the curriculum to facilitate student awareness and access to support services, and enhancing development in English language proficiency, Dr Jennifer Short was recognised for a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2018.
Effective communication skills are essential for student engagement in the learning environment, and are imperative for future graduate success. Jen led the implementation of a scaffolded and unified approach to communication skill development within the Faculty. Embedded within the curricula, a communication skills diagnostic was paired with knowledge around resources and support services, whilst reflective, analytical and strategic skills were developed in parallel. This deliberate and explicit alignment of knowledge and skills was designed to facilitate an on-going student-centred improvement cycle, tailored to the individual student and their communication skill developmental needs. Overall, this intervention led to a strong foundation for student retention and success, and a demonstrable increase in student engagement with learning support services around communication.
2018 Suzanne Caliph, Ian Larson, Paul White and Carl Kirkpatrick
In the field of teaching and supporting student learning, Dr Suzanne Caliph, Dr Ian Larson, A/Prof Paul White and Prof Cark Kirkpatrick were awarded a citation for outstanding contributions to student learning. The team was recognised for their leadership and contributions in development and implementation of teaching activities and resources that enhance student learning, experiences and outcomes in the graduate-entry bridging unit, an accelerated entry pathway into the Monash Pharmacy course. In their work, Caliph et al. developed and implemented an innovative and effective unit combining online learning with face-to-face active learning workshops in which students apply knowledge and practise professional skills necessary for successful careers. Multiple formats of intensive learning activities and resources were designed and developed by the team in collaboration with teaching and professional staff. These custom designed independent and interactive learning resources and activities connected graduate entry student’s prior knowledge and understandings in the context of pharmacy, provided opportunities and inspirations for learning engagement with practitioners, teachers, mentors and peers. The impact of their innovations and the success of this bridging unit have been evident by very high levels of student engagement and achievement as these graduate entry students have been awarded their degree within two years. The team’s leadership, contributions and innovations in teaching and learning have provided accessibility, flexibility, supportive experiences and positive outcomes for the graduate-entry students.
2017 Nilushi (Nel) Karunaratne
Nilushi (Nel) Karunaratne is an Early Career academic who uses a wide range of teaching strategies to successfully engage diverse cohorts of undergraduate pharmacy and pharmaceutical science students. She is recognised by students and peers as outstanding small group facilitator.
“Nilushi respects students as individuals and has become adept at guiding them to answer to problems rather than telling them the answer. From a unit coordinator perspective, she is highly sought after because of these qualities, is extremely professional and dependable.”
Nel played a critical role in the success of workshops in VIM; contributes to tutorials, practicals and workshops across VIM and BPharmSci. She takes opportunities and explores new approaches in her teaching; leads teaching associates in professional learning; has improved marking guides
and instructional resources impacting on the quality of teaching and learning.
2016 Erica Sloan
For approaches in support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn, Dr Erica Sloan was recognised for her significant contribution.
To prepare pharmacists of the future, Erica led the development of an integrated program of theoretical and applied research that provides opportunities for undergraduate pharmacy students to develop a broad skill set including: excellence in teamwork, critical thinking, leadership, soft-skills and reflective learning.
Over the last six years Erica has advocated for, and led the introduction of research skills across courses within the faculty. She has inspired students to learn through her creative and engaging approach to learning through engagement.
Her teaching is “interactive, funny and makes everything about immunity more interesting and fun…..Her use of stories integrated in lectures is super cool” (student feedback).
2015 Safeera Hussainy, Barbara Yazbeck and Maxine Cuskelly
In the field of curricula development, resources and services that reflect a command of the field, Dr Safeera Hussainy, Ms Barbara Yazbeck and Ms Maxine Cuskelly were a awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in 2015. The team was recognised for their work in developed evidence-based medicine curricula based on world's best practices. This work allows students to engage in enquiry-driven learning developing their capacity to practice for life. Students apply their new skills in a range of clinical situations.
2015 Michelle McIntosh, Laurence Orlando and Kim Styles
In the field of innovation, leadership or scholarship that has influenced and enhanced learning and teaching and/or the student experience, A/Prof Michelle McIntosh, Dr Laurence Orlando and Ms Kim Styles were awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in 2015.
This team lead the redevelopment of analytic chemistry teaching within the faculty including the introduction of problem based learning. They developing a strong partnership with a commercial HPLC supplier (Shimadzu) and planned the redevelopment of lab 118 to facilitate this new model of teaching. The combination of custom developed teaching space with state of the art equipment ensures students gain hands on experience spending their time learning up to date techniques and troubleshooting. The partnership and learning space design has been used as a model by other national and international universities in the development of their own facilities.
2014 Dr Laurence Orlando
Dr Laurence Orlando was recognised for the development of career ready graduates, through the use of student centred enquiry based approaches to present authentic scenarios, which students are likely to encounter in practice as formulation scientists. Laurence acts as a coach to guide inquiring minds, facilitate the development of critical thinking skills and model good leadership and teamwork. Dr Orlando's international experience in industry drives her to prepare graduates industry want to employ and work with. The partnership established with industry through the Industry placement unit has generated job offers for over 40 students in the last three years.
The students guide their own learning, both around the knowledge of formulation sciences and around professional behaviour. Laurence challenges final year students to "invent the professional within yourself".
2013 (2012) Dr Safeera Hussainy
Dr Safeera Hussainy was awarded a citation for innovative learning design that guides the development, assessment and feedback of pharmacy communication and promotes students' growth as reflective, empathetic health professionals. This approach develops the students' communication skills through clever role play and video feedback in a state‐of-the‐art teaching and learning environment (virtual practice environment) and assesses skills using validated methods (Objective Structured Clinical Exams, OSCEs, and rubrics) using the Pharmville (fictitious families of patients) resources as a contextual platform.
2011 Suzanne Caliph
In 2011 Suzanne Caliph was awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in recognition of developing curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field. As a lecturer with a leading role in small group and laboratory teaching, Suzanne undertook a rigorous comprehensive review and redevelopment of teaching activities including development and implementation of a number of teaching resources for face to face and online learning. A significant outcome of the redeveloped curriculum included international and industry collaboration to create a virtual sterile cleanroom in a virtual space (Pharmatopia) which provides opportunities for students to learn, practise, self-assess and receive feedback in an active non-threatening environment. Suzanne's commitment to the future demands of the discipline and professional practice was the driving force behind the teaching reforms, instilling skills that encourage students to actively engage in their own learning path.
2010 Dr Michelle McIntosh
In 2010 Dr Michelle McIntosh was awarded a citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in recognition of the innovative approach to leadership developed within postgraduate education through the creation of a student chapter of a distinguished international professional association. Michelle played a pivotal mentor role in the establishment of the AAPS Monash University Student Chapter inspiring students to develop leadership and collaboration skills, and an outlook that encourages effective competition with their international peers. Michelle's innovative program will be adapted into a formal training element of the Faculty PhD skills training program at the advent of the Monash Institute of Graduate Research in 2013.
2010 Dr Dan Malone
In 2010 Dr Dan Malone was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student learning in recognition of his innovative and inspiring approach to teaching physiology and pharmacology, instilling a passion for learning in undergraduate pharmacy students. Dan's inspirational approach in the use of animations, videos and websites, combined with bounds of enthusiasm provides the ultimate environment for student learning "… it was great to see his enthusiasm which would bounce off him and onto the students. His constant attempt at making analogies and adding his two cents worth kept the topic interesting while still covering a great deal of information". Dan's outstanding achievements has also lead to a Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching and a Citation from the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) for sustained dedication to improving the quality of the student learning experience within a specific area of responsibility.
2009 Dr Sab Ventura
In 2009 Dr Sab Ventura was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student learning in recognition of his strategy for improving student attention and concentration in lectures, through the strategic integration of brief audio visual components. Addressing different learning style needs, and engagement of students, Sab's approach resulted in noticeably increased student attendance. A student survey showed that 95 per cent of students involved thought the carefully selected video clips helped maintain concentration during a lecture. Sab's method has published his approach in a peer reviewed journal and at the Satellite Meeting on Pharmacological Teaching, 15th World Congress of Pharmacology.