2026 CPSA Prize for Teaching Excellence

Winner: Dr. Holly Ann Garnett (Royal Military College of Canada/Queen’s University)

Excerpt from jury report: The candidate demonstrates strong innovation and leadership in her teaching. Although from a smaller-scale institution with fewer resources, she has taken immense initiative to improve not only her university’s teaching, but the field as a whole. While managing a 3-3 teaching load, the candidate has developed vital courses for her university, including research methods at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also established the Undergraduate Partnered Research Programme, which enables undergraduate students from different Canadian institutions to conduct research projects in collaboration with partner organizations across the country. The benefits of such development were demonstrated by her impressive teaching evaluations and thoughtful endorsements from previous students, many of whom cited such opportunities as reason for obtaining their dream jobs. Additionally, the candidate has contributed to teaching scholarship by conducting pedagogical workshops and panels, including a “Lunch & Learn” workshop series at her university, which brings her faculty together to develop and refine pedagogical practices.