April 8, 2022
Dr. Karen Ragoonaden will assume the role of Associate Dean, Teacher Education, for a three-year term commencing September 1, 2022
Dr. Ragoonaden joined UBCO in 2005, was promoted to Senior Instructor with tenure in 2012 and to Professor of Teaching in 2018. As a university teacher and researcher, her focus and commitment to educational leadership and curricular innovation have been recognized by virtue of her on-campus, professional and community work relating to equity, diversity and inclusion.
In 2020, in recognition of her significant impact on the culture of teaching and learning, Dr. Ragoonaden received the Provost Office’s Teaching Excellence and Innovation Award. In 2021, she received the Killam Teaching Prize in recognition of her excellence in teaching. She served on the Faculty of Education’s Task Force on Race, Indigeneity, and Social Justice and as Senior Faculty Advisor to President Ono. Dr. Ragoonaden is currently serving as Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
As an active researcher, Dr. Ragoonaden’s scholarly interests lie in the area of mindfulness and well-being, culturally responsive pedagogy and conceptions of teaching and learning. Her current SSRHC grant (2021–24) is entitled “Mindfulness and Antiracist Education: Developing Critical Reflection.”
Thank you to Dr. Marianne McTavish, who has served as Associate Dean, Teacher Education since 2018. In her role, Dr. McTavish provided academic and operational leadership for all undergraduate and diploma programs in the Faculty of Education. Over the course of her time as Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Dr. McTavish interacted with numerous external groups and partners, including schools, school districts, the Ministry of Education and Childcare, and the Association of BC Deans of Education (ABCDE), which recognized Dr. McTavish’s contributions through the 2021 ABCDE Teacher Educator Award.
