Brock University Marketing Professor Kai-Yu Wang has been awarded a 2023 3M National Teaching Fellowship. With only 10 given out nation-wide each year, the award is considered one of Canada’s most prestigious post-secondary teaching excellence awards.
Wang, who is also Chair of the Marketing, International Business and Strategy Department in the Goodman School of Business, says it feels unreal to receive recognition for the extremely competitive award.
“I feel incredibly honoured to be selected as a National Teaching Fellow,” Wang says. “This award means a lot to me personally and I hope it can encourage my colleagues in business in their own teaching.”
The fellowship is sponsored by both 3M Canada and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and honours exceptional contributions to teaching, learning and leadership at the post-secondary level.
The national recognition, of which Wang is the 13th Brock recipient, speaks to the high calibre of teaching excellence taking place at the University, says President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg.
“Brock’s passionate and innovative educators are among the best in the country, and their commitment to student success is second to none,” she says. “The University’s focus on providing a transformational and accessible academic experience for all learners is made possible by outstanding academics, such as Dr. Wang, who make a difference in and beyond the classroom every day.”
Wang’s efforts in the classroom and contributions to his field have seen him recognized with several honours in recent years: the 2020 Brock University Award for Distinguished Teaching, the 2021 Goodman Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2022 Society for Marketing Advances Distinguished Teaching Award. He was also named Goodman’s Distinguished Researcher for 2022.
Goodman Dean Barry Wright says it’s this combined excellence in both teaching and research that provides added value for Wang’s students.
“Dr. Wang’s commitment to being a leading researcher in a rapidly evolving field like digital marketing helps him stay innovative in designing courses and activities for his students,” he says. “Collectively, everyone in Goodman is immensely proud of him for this well-deserved recognition. He is the first from our business school to receive this award.”
Wang says he wants students to leave his classroom with skills they are going to need in their profession. He’s been recognized for being a leader in experiential education, bringing in community partner organizations to work directly with his students to develop and execute digital marketing campaigns.
“Dr. Wang is a true champion of experiential education,” says Rajiv Jhangiani, Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning. “In addition to connecting classroom learning with real-world practice, he is dedicated to designing inclusive and supportive learning environments, working to continually evolve his own teaching practices while inspiring others to do the same.”
The award’s evaluation committee also noted Wang’s educational leadership in using his experiential learning activities to develop a modern digital marking professional development course that addresses the needs of today’s businesses. The eight-week online Digital Marketing Micro-credential program he designed and teaches begins its first offering May 4 and includes live virtual learning using simulated environments for immediate feedback on assignments based on real-life situations.
“I hope the impact of the experiential learning activities in digital marketing can be extended to marketing professionals and individuals who want to pursue a digital marketing career in the Niagara region,” Wang says.
He will be officially welcomed into the Fellowship during a conference in Charlottetown, P.E.I., from June 13 to 16.
A video of Kai-Yu Wang speaking about the 3M National Teaching Fellowship is available on YouTube.
