UBCO assistant professor recognized as one of Canada’s top educators

UBCO prof earns top award

Photo: UBCO

Dr. W. Stephen McNeil

A UBC Okanagan professor has received one of the top post-secondary awards in the country.

Associate professor Dr. W. Stephen McNeil has been awarded the 2025 3M National Teaching Fellowship, awarded to only 10 educators each year.

The fellowship is considered one of the country’s highest honours for post-secondary instructors, recognizing their exceptional contributions to educational leadership, teaching excellence and educational innovation.

“It’s a great honour," said McNeil.

“This recognition reflects the incredible support I’ve received from my colleagues, my students and the UBC Okanagan community. I’m deeply committed to creating engaging, inclusive and meaningful learning experiences, and I’m grateful that my work has been recognized in this way.”

McNeil, who teaches chemistry, says he strives to help students develop transferable skills to help them become meaningful global citizens, regardless of their future careers.

“Science teachers like to believe we’re training the next generation of scientists, but in terms of student numbers and an overall contribution to society, this is far from our principal task,” said McNeil.

“More importantly, we’re training people how to think like scientists, and how to interpret ideas and data in their daily lives.”

McNeil is a founding member of UBC Okanagan’s faculty, joining the team in 2005 when the campus first opened its doors. Since then, he has fostered a strong reputation for educational innovation.

This is the first time an instructor from UBCO has received a 3M National Teaching Fellowship.

The 3M National Teaching Fellows will be formally recognized at the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2025 National Conference this June in Saskatoon.