Brian Lee Wins Teaching Award From ACCC

Fanshawe Photography teacher Brian Lee (right) has won the 2010 Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) Silver Teaching Excellence Award. The award honours an individual faculty member who has exhibited consistent excellence and has had a significant impact on the personal and academic growth of students.

Brian has been teaching at Fanshawe since 1977, just two years after he graduated from the Photography program. He also served as Chair of the Communication Arts division for three years, and was coordinator for the Photography, Advanced Photography, and Media Theory and Production programs.

"Brian is an extraordinarily committed teacher whose passion for photography is absolutely infectious," said Terry Boyd, Dean of Arts, Media and Design. "This award is a crowning achievement after a long and distinguished career as a faculty member and coordinator of Fanshawe's Photography program."

Brian led Fanshawe through a revolution in the photography industry. In his time with the College, the Photography program went from an entirely film focus to an entirely digital focus, which included a complete transformation in technology. When he started teaching, digital photography didn't exist. Today, the program welcomes students who have never used anything but a digital camera.

Brian has also demonstrated impressive adaptability outside the classroom. He was a key member of the team that developed the unique Media Theory and Production (MTP) program, which is a collaboration between Fanshawe and The University of Western Ontario that allows graduates to earn a two-year diploma from Fanshawe and a three-year degree from Western. The MTP program represents a new model for colleges and universities.

"Fanshawe's Photography program enjoys an excellent reputation with students and within the photography industry," said Fanshawe president Howard Rundle. "Brian has profoundly influenced that reputation not only with his teaching, but with his innovative and ambitious leadership as a teacher and administrator for more than 30 years at Fanshawe. He is exactly the kind of teacher who should be recognized with this award."

Like most exceptional college teachers, Brian is a leader in his industry. He has been an active member of the Professional Photographers of Canada and the Professional Photographers of Ontario since 1973. He has also contributed to many workshops for photographers across the country, maintaining industry ties that informed his teaching and brought real world experience into his classroom.

Although Brian retired last year, he continues to work part-time in the Photography program. He will receive his award next month at the ACCC Annual Conference in Niagara Falls.