New Teaching and Learning Chair in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Dec 7th, 2015

By Jackey Locke

New Teaching and Learning Chair in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Dr. Janna Rosales is the inaugural Chair for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

The new chair is part of a Memorial-wide initiative. The university created 13 new chairs for teaching and learning, one per faculty and school.

In her new role, Dr. Rosales, who is passionate about helping students succeed, will engage faculty, staff and students in order to promote student engagement, retention and learning.

“I see the chair position as part champion, part mentor and part community builder,” she said. “The chair program is intended to raise the profile of teaching and learning as core priorities across the university and so we champion initiatives like the scholarship of teaching and learning, mentor colleagues who are interested in best-teaching practices, and we try to build communities of students, staff and faculty who are inspired to create vibrant learning environments.”

Dr. Rosales brings an interdisciplinary background to this position. She has studied and taught at the crossroads of the sciences and humanities. She received her bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from Memorial University, and completed her doctorate at the University of Toronto, where she studied the social and ethical implications of nanotechnology. In 2010, she joined Memorial's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science as a research associate with the MetaKettle Project, a Legacy Pedagogy Project supported by the 2004-2009 NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair in Women in Science and Engineering, Atlantic Region (CWSEA).

Dr. Rosales is a visiting assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science where she teaches ethics, communication and professionalism as part of the faculty’s complementary studies stream of courses. She has taught courses in technology and society for the departments of sociology and religious studies and continues to guest lecture with the Graduate Program in Humanities and the First Year Success Program.

As a co-investigator with the MetaKettle Project, Dr. Rosales engages in the scholarship of teaching and learning, studying areas such as diversity, leadership development, civic engagement, mindfulness, and dialogue in engineering education. Recent publications with her MetaKettle Project collaborators have also included work on graduate student research writing and academic literacy.

She has been a member of the Student-Centred Learning Committee for the Teaching and Learning Framework, and is currently a member of the Expert Working Group for the Office of Public Engagement and Chair of the Faculty Learning Community for Contemplative Education.

“This new teaching and learning chair appointment will benefit both students and professors,” said Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “Dr. Rosales brings a valuable interdisciplinary perspective and broad educational experience to the faculty. She is a wonderful asset to our team and we look forward to supporting her in this important new role.”