Ophthalmologist awarded PM's top prize for tertiary teaching

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Embargoed until 9.00pm
9 July 2013

Ophthalmologist awarded Prime Minister’s top prize for tertiary teaching

Tonight, the Prime Minister awarded his Supreme Award for Tertiary Teaching Excellence to Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson, leading ophthalmologist from the School of Medicine, University of Otago.

Viewed as the highlight of this annual Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards, the Supreme Award recognises Associate Professor Sanderson’s 40-year career dedicated to teaching tertiary students, sharing his passionate commitment to the profession of ophthalmology (the study of the structure of the eye and eye health).

The Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards celebrate New Zealand’s finest tertiary teachers - as recognised by their organisations, colleagues and learners alike.

The parliamentary event was jointly hosted by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Hon Steven Joyce, and Cam Calder, Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee.  Ako Aotearoa – The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence is the administrator of the awards.  The Centre aims to recognise and celebrate excellence in tertiary teaching and share good practice that has proven benefit for learners.

Described by his students as humble, passionate and caring, Gordon takes immense pride in the success of students because of the difference they make to the health of patients. Colleagues and students alike describe him as “inspirational”. He continues to teach across all degree levels, is responsible for designing and embedding new curricula, and is highly innovative in his teaching – being a pioneer in the use of technologies including, most recently, the development of mobile phone apps to support students.

Beyond the class, he has been honoured for his services to the blind with the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2008 and provides on-going advice and education to staff at the New Zealand Royal Institute of the Blind, as well as being a trustee for Glaucoma New Zealand.

Dr Peter Coolbear, director of Ako Aotearoa, and member of the Awards Committee, comments “Gordon Sanderson epitomises sustained tertiary teaching excellence. His passion for his discipline is infectious. He cares deeply about both his speciality and the patients in his care, and shares his genuine excitement about his work with his students.  A whole generation of ophthalmologists acknowledge that it was his teaching that inspired them to take up the speciality. Outstanding tertiary educators change lives: Gordon has done this over four decades.”

A total of ten awards for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching (worth $20,000 each) were presented to a diverse range of teachers at the ceremony tonight. (The Prime Minister’s Supreme Award is an additional award to one of the ten teachers, worth an extra $10,000).

The recipients of the Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching awards for 2013 are:

• ·         Dr. Jing Chi
• Senior Lecturer, School of Economics and Finance,
• Massey University
• ·         Frances Denz
• Executive Director and Lecturer,
• Stellaris Limited
• Associate Professor Bryony James
• Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering,
• The University of Auckland
• Professor Alison Jones
• Te Puna Wānanga, School of Māori Education,
• The University of Auckland
• Dr Rua Murray
• Senior Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
• University of Canterbury
• James Paterson
• Senior Academic Staff Member, School of Business,
• Bay of Plenty Polytechnic
• Kamuka Pati
• Lecturer, Department of Building Technology,
• Unitec Institute of Technology
• Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson (and Prime Minister’s Supreme Award recipient)
• Department of Medicine,
• University of Otago
• Associate Professor Cather Simpson
• School of Chemical Sciences and Department of Physics,
• The University of Auckland
• Sue White
• Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing,
• Unitec Institute of Technology

Chair of the Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards Committee, Professor Noeline Alcorn says, “It is always a privilege to read the portfolios of the award winners.  This year’s group share a passionate commitment to students and their learning and the importance of learning to students, their whanau, their future workplace and society. Collectively they transform lives.”

For more information about the TTEAs please visit:   www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/awards

ENDS

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