Faculty of Arts Professor of the Year

The Professor of the Year award is to be given annually to a professor in the Faculty of Arts who has best exemplified outstanding teaching, outstanding research (appropriate to his or her rank) and who has an exemplary record of service. Nominations for this award can be made by students registered in the Faculty of Arts, faculty members, and Heads of Departments.

2010 Faculty of Arts Professor of the Year

Myroslav Shkandrij, Professor (German and Slavic Studies)

International authority in Ukrainian Literature and Culture, Dr. Shkandrij has made longstanding, consistently excellent contributions to research, teaching, service, and outreach that are exemplified during the past year. Shkrandij is described as “a remarkable teacher, an exceptionally successful administrator, and one of the most influential and active members of the Ukrainian community in and outside Winnipeg.” Among a number of publications and presentations in the past year, his third book — Jews in Ukrainian Culture: Representation and Identity (2009, Yale University Press) showcases his original and meticulous scholarship and his profound commitment to support discussion as an avenue for understanding and change. Acclaimed as a ground-breaking exploration of this topic, it has prompted important public dialogue on Jewish-Ukrainian relations. Shkandrij seamlessly interweaves his scholarship and his teaching. His students identify his skill at developing an atmosphere of trust in “open and dynamic” classes and seminars that lays the foundation for extraordinary student learning and intellectual and personal growth. A student wrote, “. . . [he] made me feel like a fellow scholar with whom he was exploring ideas, rather than a . . . student to whom he was patiently listening.” Shkandrij has sustained his service to his Department, Faculty, University, and the community outside the University in quality and quantity.  His colleagues describe him as an inspiring leader who moderates difficult discussions, values contributions of others, and problem-solves effectively. Colleagues and students use the words honesty, kindness, and modesty to describe his interactions with them. With the many demands of scholarship, teaching, and university service, Shkandrij’s work and impact in outreach is remarkable. An active member of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies and the Canadian Association of Slavists, he has promoted Slavic Studies throughout North America. In the 3rd exhibit he has organized as curator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery — Futurism and After: David Burliuk, 1882 – 1967, he gave both Winnipeggers and New Yorkers a “unique opportunity of following the evolution of the [progenitor] of ‘Ukrainian and Russian Futurism.’” 

 

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