TORONTO, Dec. 5 /CNW/ - With a $10,000 scholarship and bragging rights on
the line, TVO has now narrowed the field to 20 contenders in the 2009 Big
Ideas Best Lecturer Competition, sponsored by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex.
This year, 10 schools are represented among the top 20: Brock University,
Canadore College, Carleton University, Ontario College of Art and Design,
University of Guelph, all three University of Toronto campuses, University of
Western Ontario and York University.
"There is no question about it," says Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition
producer Wodek Szemberg. "This year's top 20 represent the most talented and
compelling group of lecturers nominated in the history of TVO's competition.
Whether teaching the fundamentals of genetics, Milton's Paradise Lost or
separation anxiety, this group shows that to be a great lecturer it's
important to love one's subject and be able to transmit it with an energy that
does justice to it."
Leading the way is University of Toronto, with eight contenders from
three campuses (one from Mississauga, three from Scarborough, and four from
St. George), followed by Carleton University and University of Western Ontario
(each with three professors in the top 20).
Last year, Professor Christopher diCarlo took home the title of Ontario's
Best Lecturer, garnering the $10,000 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Scholarship
for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa.
This year's competition began with a six-week nomination period starting
in September 2008, where students nominated a record 160 professors. From the
list of nominated professors, the TVO Big Ideas production team viewed the
many video submissions and narrowed the list down to 20 outstanding lecturers,
who will move on to the next phase of the competition. These top 20 excelled
in the judging criteria of confidence and authority; clarity and confidence;
and energy and enthusiasm.
To watch the top 20's video presentations, visit tvo.org/bestlecturer.
From here, a three-member jury will determine the top 10, whose names
will be announced in February 2009. The top 10 will then deliver complete
televised lectures on TVO's Big Ideas, beginning Saturday February 28 2009.
Viewers' votes will help determine the eventual overall champion, to be
announced April 11 2009.
Big Ideas is TVO's popular televised lecture series, offering lectures on
a variety of thought-provoking topics that range across politics, culture,
economics, art history and science. The Best Lecturer Competition, now in its
fourth year, galvanizes the post-secondary community and plays an important
role in raising awareness about the province's great educators.
A complete list of the top 20 follows. For more information, including
contestant bios, videoclips of lectures, student quotes and full contest
details, visit tvo.org.The top 20 - TVO's 2009 Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition
(Listed alphabetically by school)
Brock University
James Allard
Department of English Language and Literature
Canadore College
Rod Carley
Communication Arts
Carleton University
Matthew J. Bellamy
Department of History
Darryl Davies
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
John Stead
Department of Psychology
Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD)
Francis Broun
Faculty of Liberal Studies
University of Guelph
Patrick Parnaby
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Toronto Mississauga Campus
Dax Urbszat
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto Scarborough Campus
Marc A. Fournier
Department of Psychology
Clare Hasenkampf
Department of Biological Sciences
Steve Joordens
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto St. George Campus
Shawn Lehman
Department of Anthropology
Nick Mount
Department of English
Doug Richards
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
Paul Stevens
Department of English
University of Western Ontario
Anton Lawrence Allahar
Department of Sociology
Tom Haffie
Department of Biology
Robert Solomon
Faculty of Law
York University
Merv Mosher
School of Kinesiology and Health Science
Karolyn Smardz Frost
School of Arts and Letters, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional
StudiesAbout TVO
TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted
source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and
stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be
engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media.
About TD Insurance Meloche Monnex
TD Insurance Meloche Monnex is proud to be the presenting sponsor for the
fourth edition of TVO's Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition. TD Insurance
Meloche Monnex is a dedicated supporter of Ontario university alumni,
providing high quality home and auto insurance to its members.
For further information: Anne Rubenstein, TVO Communications, Tel: (416)
484-2881, Email: arubenstein@tvo.org
