TORONTO, April 11, 2009 – Rod Carley of Canadore College, North Bay, has won the title of Ontario's Best Lecturer, as chosen by TVO viewers and the Best Lecturer jury in TVO’s 2009 Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition, sponsored by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. Professor Carley’s win also brings a $10,000 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex scholarship for Canadore College, as well as much deserved acclaim and bragging rights. The announcement was made on the April 11 broadcast of TVO's lecture series Big Ideas.
Rod Carley was one of 10 finalists who delivered complete lectures on Big Ideas in February and March in a bid to win the title of Ontario’s Best Lecturer. Carley is co-ordinator for Canadore College’s new theatre arts program as well as artistic director for REP 21, Canadore’s graduate actor theatre company. He has directed and produced over 85 productions, both nationally and internationally, ranging from the classics to the development of new Canadian work. He has a particular passion for the works of Shakespeare, having adapted and directed 15 of his works. Carley spent two seasons with the Stratford Festival as an assistant director and was the first recipient of the Festival’s Jean Gascon Director’s Award.
Of his Best Lecturer win, Carley says, “It is extremely validating to be honoured for what has been my vocation and calling for the past 25 years.” He is excited to have the scholarship funds for the Theatre Arts program at Canadore College. As the program is only four years old, “receiving this prestigious award from TVO and TD Insurance Meloche Monnex will help bring important exposure province-wide to our vital and relevant theatre arts school at Canadore.”
Professor Carley’s winning lecture was titled “Adapting Shakespeare within a Modern Canadian Context.” As Carley explains, “Adapting Shakespeare to a Canadian setting shows that our history is interesting and exciting enough to be a relevant context for interpreting Shakespeare. We have a political history that is complex and needs to be voiced on stage – thus keeping both Shakespeare and Canadian history alive and accessible for young and new audiences.”
“This year’s Best Lecturer finalists were a consistently strong group,” says Best Lecturer producer Gregg Thurlbeck. “But Rod Carley was the standout lecturer in both the public vote and with our jury. He led the way into the Top 10 and then delivered an engaging, provocative, powerful competition lecture that obviously clicked with his students in the classroom and connected with our television and on-line viewers.”
“It is our job as teachers to come to our students, not the other way around,” says Carley. “I love when a student ‘gets it.’ That eureka moment of discovery (whether it be a concept, a moment of truth in their acting or some new aspect regarding their own lives) is why I do it. It is the reason that I teach. The torch of understanding is passed on.”
“Professor Carley clearly has a passion for delivering a great lecture, which comes through loud and clear to the students who have the privilege of being in his class. It’s an experience that will help shape their lives,” says Paul Douglas, Vice President, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. “We are excited to be part of Big Ideas 2009 and to recognize Professor Carley with this scholarship.”
Each year the Best Lecturer Competition galvanizes the post-secondary community and plays an important role in raising awareness about the province's great educators. This year’s competition began with a six-week nomination period starting in September 2008, during which students from colleges and universities across the province nominated a record 160 professors. The TVO Big Ideas production team then narrowed the list to 20, and an independent judging panel pared it down to 10 finalists whose televised lectures were rated by the public and the Best Lecturer jury.
The Top 10 finalists in TVO’s 2009 Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition were:
Matthew J. Bellamy, Department of History, Carleton University
Anton Lawrence Allahar, Department of Sociology, University of Western Ontario
James Allard, Department of English Language and Literature, Brock University
Doug Richards, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto (St. George Campus)
Paul Stevens, Department of English, University of Toronto (St. George Campus)
Shawn Lehman, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto (St. George Campus)
Darryl Davies, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University
Clare Hasenkampf, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus)
Rod Carley, Communication Arts, Canadore College
Merv Mosher, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University
Rod Carley comments, “The ability, commitment and integrity of my fellow nominees was and is outstanding. Higher education in Ontario is in good hands.”
To stream the Top 10 lectures and for profiles of the Top 10 lecturers, including winner Rod Carley, visit tvo.org/bigideas and click on “Past Episodes.”
For more information and media interviews, please see contacts below.
About TVO
TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit www.tvo.org.
Where to find TVO
Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Star Choice channel 353.
About TD Insurance Meloche Monnex
TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, the group insurance brand of TD Insurance, works with over 700 professional, alumni and employer groups across the country to provide home and auto insurance programs. In business for 60 years, more than 600,000 clients trust TD Insurance Meloche Monnex with their insurance needs. TD Insurance, through its TD Insurance Meloche Monnex and TD Insurance Home and Auto sub-brands, is the largest direct-response insurance group in Canada. For more information on professional and alumni group programs visit www.MelocheMonnex.com; for information on employer group programs visit www.Group.TDInsurance.com.
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Media contacts:
Sharon Hayward / Sally Byun
DDB Public Relations
416-972-5844 / 416-963-4289
sharon.hayward@can.ddbpr.com / sally.byun@can.ddbpr.com
Anne Rubenstein
TVO Communications
416-484-2881
arubenstein@tvo.org
