“The Show Must Go On” — 2008 Tucker Talk, Aug. 27
2008-08-15 10:24:26
SACKVILLE, NB — Dr. Elizabeth Wells, Mount Allison music professor and renowned musical theatre scholar, has her name in lights again! In May, she received Mount Allison University’s celebrated Herbert and Leota Tucker Teaching Award, and now she has been recognized as one of the finest teachers in the Atlantic region, having just received the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Distinguished Teaching Award.
As the 25th recipient of Mount Allison’s Tucker Teaching Award, Dr. Wells will give the annual Tucker Talk entitled “The Show Must Go On”: Scripts from a Teaching and Learning Life. Everyone is welcome to attend Elizabeth Wells’ Tucker presentation on Wednesday, August 27th at 3:30 p.m. in Brunton Auditorium (Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music, 134 Main Street, Sackville). It is open to the public and admission is free. There will be a reception afterwards at Cranewood, the home of Mount Allison President Dr. Robert Campbell.
Elizabeth explains that the talk will be “a series of scenes from various teaching and learning moments, focusing on the feeling of forward motion, the restlessness that infuses teaching and learning — the idea that whether it is a lecture, or an exam, we simply have to keep going, regardless of what obstacles stand in the way.” Elizabeth says her presentation will draw not only from her classroom experiences but also from worlds outside academia, from the horse show ring to the backstage of a theatre!
Dr. Stephen McClatchie, Vice-President Academic and Research, says, “I congratulate Dr. Wells for winning the AAU Distinguished Teaching Award. This prestigious award recognizes those who exemplify teaching excellence and who contribute more generally to enhancing the quality of university teaching. Elizabeth certainly embodies those qualities. I warmly encourage everyone to attend her Tucker presentation on August 27th and see this exceptional teacher firsthand.”
Eileen Herteis, director of Mount Allison’s Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre and Chair of the AAU Coordinating Committee on Faculty Development, agrees: “Elizabeth is devoted to the study of her discipline, and she is equally committed to creating a rich learning experience for her students and to sharing her passion with others.”
Elizabeth Wells’ students praise her ability to inspire thinking through innovative projects, provocative readings, and vibrant and rich discussions. Her courses have been described as “perfection.” One recent graduate calls Elizabeth a “phenomenal” teacher and “inspirational” mentor, continuously analyzing and enhancing her teaching and being an example of excellence herself.
Elizabeth Wells is the fifth Mount Allison professor to win both the Tucker Teaching Award and the AAU Distinguished Teaching Award; previous double-winners are Alex Fancy, professor emeritus of drama and modern languages and literatures (1991); Dean of Social Sciences and geography professor Robert Summerby-Murray (2000); English professor Robert Lapp (2003); and sociology professor Erin Steuter (2006).
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