We are immensely proud to announce that Professor of Teaching Michael Lee has been awarded a prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship from STLHE, which calls the award “Canada’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in educational leadership and teaching at the post-secondary level.” His successful nomination was featured in MacLean’s.
Michael’s receipt of this award follows twenty-five years of stalwart services for the Department, including roles in leadership as the Curriculum Coordinator for our Master of Therapy (MOT) program (2006-2013), Vice-chair of the program’s Curriculum Committee (2018-present), and the Associate Head of Educational Affairs (2020-present). Over the past three years, Michael has overseen the expansion of our program from 64 to 96 seats, including 16 seats in Prince George and 16 more at UBC’s forthcoming Fraser Valley site, and he has supported the Department’s transition from teaching in person to using video-conferencing across multiple distributed sites.
Michael has combined his pedagogical expertise in psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) with local, national, and international initiatives that support students’ mental health and well-being. In 2008, he led the creation of UBC’s Mental Health Awareness Club, and he helped to develop the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety for Post-Secondary Students. He has been an invited speaker on PSR at multiple conferences and workshops in China annually since 2008, and in 2017, he was appointed as a Visiting Professor of Kunming Medical University. He designed the curriculum and served as the lead instructor of a 16-week program in PSR for practicing clinicians in China, and he wrote 8 of 24 chapters in Psychosocial Practice in Occupational Therapy (in Chinese), the first Chinese book addressing PSR in occupational therapy practice, of which is one of the two co-editors.
Michael has received numerous awards for his contributions to teaching, service, and pedagogical scholarship at UBC and nationwide. These include Psychosocial Rehabilitation Canada’s Ambassador Award, which he received in 2015 following ten years of consultation (2005-2015) for Community Living BC, an organization that supports adults living with disabilities; UBC’s Margaret Fulton Student Development Award, which was conferred to him in 2018 in recognition of his contributions to teaching and learning at UBC; and, in 2021, UBC’s Teaching Prize, its highest honour for teaching. For all of his accolades and achievements, it might be the feedback and statements of his students and colleagues that provides the strongest testament to his impact on teaching and learning.
Michael is an exceptional instructor who cares deeply about his students and their learning. […] His energy and pride for OT and dedication to client centred care was contagious, and he constantly looked for ways to support the student experience. What set him apart from other instructors was how he went above and beyond to ensure our success and wellbeing. For example, he offered his phone number if any student needed to debrief after some of our heavier sessions, sought feedback from class reps about workload to adjust his deadlines and avoid student burnout, and […] made the class feel genuinely appreciated.
Michael’s ability to balance energy, humour and optimism with empathy, vulnerability and kindness is unique and unparalleled. A long-term impact of his teaching was the lesson of prioritizing our own wellbeing in order to best care for others, which has been an asset in our careers and personal lives.
Michael is the model example of an instructor that goes beyond expectations to ensure the success and wellbeing of his students. His constant encouragement and belief in our abilities enabled us to realize our full potential as students, researchers and clinicians. We can confidently say that our journey to becoming Occupational Therapists would not have been complete without his exceptional guidance.
Michael’s energy and positivity provided a much more meaningful and memorable learning experience. He was approachable and engaged, which helped me feel less stressed and more likely to ask questions and reach out, enhancing my (mostly) online experience.
In all that he does, Michael demonstrates integrity, solicitude for students’ learning and well-being, and a deep-seated initiative to contribute to best practices to promote well-being, effective teaching, and interprofessional education.
Michael’s impact on teaching and pedagogical scholarship has been truly transformational. His sincere solicitude for students and prioritization of well-being have created a safe, inclusive, and welcoming community of teaching and learning in which students, staff, and faculty alike can thrive.
Michael’s contributions have truly transcended his disciplinary home; they have had a significant and lasting impact on countless students and faculty peers, and on the way the institutions about student well-being and mental health.
Michael was initially speechless when he learned of his selection for the 3M Fellowship. Upon reflection, what came to mind was that the award recognized education as being “primarily concerned with shaping our hopes and dreams.”
Often, we see higher education as being about acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking skills. However, as an educator, I believe that the ultimate goal for a healthcare educator is to transform a student into a skilled clinician with a heart to foster recovery. Being chosen as a teaching fellow means the higher education community agrees on the importance of teaching to the heart.
Please join us in congratulating Michael for this well-deserved recognition on the impacts of his teaching, curricular redevelopment, pedagogical scholarship, and promotion of the health and well-being of students and people in the broader community.