Leanne Taylor has never shied away from the road less travelled; the path where she believes true change is born.<\/p>\n
In the classroom, the Associate Professor in Brock\u2019s Department of Educational Studies isn\u2019t afraid to take risks and ask hard questions, all in hopes of inspiring her students to build a better world \u2014 together.<\/p>\n
Taylor\u2019s innovative approach earned her a 2025 3M National Teaching Fellowship<\/a>, one of Canada\u2019s most prestigious teaching excellence awards.<\/p>\n Her teaching philosophy is grounded in a deep commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe education, especially in the post-secondary context, has the power to disrupt injustice, amplify underrepresented voices and help students understand themselves and the world in more critical and compassionate ways,\u201d Taylor says.<\/p>\n Sponsored by both 3M Canada and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Fellowship honours exceptional contributions to teaching, learning and leadership at the post-secondary level.<\/p>\n The award represents a \u201cshared investment in transformative education,\u201d Taylor says, adding that success in teaching is a collective effort.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom mentors who shaped my thinking, students who constantly challenge and inspire me, and colleagues who stand by me in hard moments \u2014 because equity work is difficult work at times \u2014\u00a0this award says a lot about the community I have been a part of at Brock over the last 14 years,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cDedicated educators like Leanne Taylor, committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, are having a profound impact towards a better, brighter future for all,\u201d says Arja Vainio-Mattila, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. \u201cWe offer sincere congratulations and deep gratitude to Dr. Taylor for her groundbreaking work in this critical space, and now as a 3M National Teaching Fellowship recipient recognized for her teaching excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n Taylor aims to bridge theory and practice, aligning teaching with her ongoing equity-focused research into anti-racism practices in teacher education.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching is not just something we do in the classroom; it\u2019s a form of scholarship and activism, and the 3M Fellowship offers a powerful platform to further this kind of work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Taylor is Chair of the Faculty of Education\u2019s Equity and Social Justice Committee (ESJC) and also works as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education. She currently holds a Chancellor\u2019s Chair for Teaching Excellence (2024-27) and received both the Faculty of Education Award for Teaching Excellence<\/a> and Brock\u2019s Distinguished Teaching Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEducating exceptional educators is our driving force in the Faculty of Education. Dr. Taylor leads by example, delivering innovative teaching and research practices,\u201d says Mary-Louise Vanderlee, Dean of Education. \u201cIn the classroom and beyond, Dr. Taylor\u2019s profound teaching impact on the educators of tomorrow is felt years after graduates leave campus, a testament to her ongoing scholarship that is transforming futures.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Taylor hopes institutions see this kind of recognition as a call to invest more deeply in equity-driven teaching through resources, recognition and structural change.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot continue to relegate social justice work to the margins; it has to be centred in how we define excellence,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n