Wightman-Berris Academy Awards

The Wightman-Berris Academy Awards, presented annually, are in an important way in which teaching faculty and staff are recognized for their contribution to the mission of the Academy and its affiliated teaching hospitals. Teaching, delivery of curriculum, and innovation in educational methods are integral to the success of the Wightman-Berris Academy. Teaching staff are highly valued by the Academy and documentation of excellence in teaching is important to enable the ongoing work and support of our community of clinical teachers. Demonstrated excellence in teaching is an important component of the University of Toronto’s promotion of faculty and receiving awards for teaching contributes to that evidence. The Academy is highly supportive of the development and advancement of its faculty.

The awards include Wightman-Berris medical undergraduate, UHN/MSH postgraduate medical and UHN/MSH allied health professional categories. In offering these joint awards under the auspices of the Wightman-Berris Academy, the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital seek to recognize outstanding contributors to health professional education. The WB Awards Committee ensures that recipients of these awards represent the very highest calibre of our clinical teaching staff.

In keeping with UHN and Mount Sinai initiatives on interprofessional education and care, the Wightman-Berris Academy Awards bring together all hospital-based teachers of health professional degree programs to celebrate their educational achievements. Several categories of awards recognize the different areas and levels of achievement.

The Anderson Awards are in memory of Dr. William Anderson (1917-1987), a long standing staff member at Toronto General Hospital, and Vice President, Medical from 1984 to 1986. These prestigious awards recognize an educator’s achievements in one of the three following categories:

• Extraordinary contribution to health professional education (up to one winner annually)
• Program innovation and development (up to two winners annually)
• Educational administration (up to two winners annually)

The Individual Teaching Performance Awards recognize teachers whose outstanding skills have been personally identified by their students. Staff will be recognized in one of the three following categories: