The Niagara College Student Administrative Council (NCSAC) is pleased to announce that Patrick Robson (full-time faculty) and Melissa Galicia (part-time faculty) from the School of Environment and Horticulture are the recipients of the 2020-2021 Educator of the Year awards.
Each year, NCSAC invites students to nominate a faculty member that has made a significant contribution to the education of Niagara College students. The criteria for the Educator of the Year nominees include their ability to have positively changed, impacted or contributed to the success of a single student’s life.
“The NCSAC Board of Directors, as well as the entire NCSAC team, always look forward to facilitating the Educator of the Year Awards, as the nominations are always filled with the most inspiring and thankful comments,” said Samantha Jemison, NCSAC president. “Recognizing the effort, time, and dedication that educators put forward on behalf of students, often going above and beyond the call of duty, is a way to let educators know that their efforts are noticed, appreciated, and more than anything, that their dedication is worthy of praise and admiration. ”
Patrick Robson joined the Niagara College team in early 2016 as both a part-time faculty member and staff member in the president’s office where he worked on government relations projects before becoming a full-time faculty member in 2018. He teaches in several of the programs in the School of Environment and Horticulture including, the post-graduate Environmental & Assessment Program, the post-graduate Ecosystem Restoration Program and the Environmental Field & Lab Technician Program.
Robson received several nominations for Educator of the Year, which highlighted his passion for teaching and his dedication to enhancing the experiences of his students.
“Patrick is one of the best teachers I have had at Niagara College,” said one nominator. “He cares about student success and has worked hard to make online learning as interesting as possible and consistently brings in real world examples and content to make a course more understandable.”
“It is truly humbling to be recognized by my students for doing a job that I absolutely love,” said Robson. “After a 30 year career in land use planning, with my last position being Commissioner of Planning for the Niagara Region, I’m pleased to share my knowledge with the next generation.”
“As I tell others who ask if I like teaching at Niagara College I simply say, ‘I have one goal – helping young people succeed – and that is a most worthy purpose at this stage of my career – that, and I love Niagara College,'” continued Robson.
Part-time faculty member, Melissa Galicia joined Niagara College two years ago and currently teaches Environmental Biology and Soil Science for the Environmental Technician program in the School of Environment and Horticulture.
Her students praised her adaptability and thoughtfulness, writing, “As challenging as it is to adapt to COVID, Melissa has gone above and beyond in the virtual classroom to make her content accessible. In the lab she is patient and understanding with everyone and she actively listens to our questions and responds in a meaningful way.”
“I feel honoured to be the recipient of NCSAC Part-Time Educator of the Year award and I am especially thrilled to be recognized by the students themselves,” said Galicia. “I appreciate the time the students took out of their busy schedules to write a wonderful nomination. I would also like to thank all the students for their resilience and dedication to learning during this challenging year.”
“The winners and nominees have all had to contend with a unique year that introduced new barriers and challenges for students and educators alike. Considering educators can make or break a college experience for their students, even in the easiest of times, it is amazing to see that the faculty of NC have shown their ability to adapt and thrive in this new world,” said Jemison.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to both Patrick Robson and Melissa Galicia for winning the coveted Educator of the Year award, this was no small feat.”
Both winners were recognized in NCSAC’s year in review video.
