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March 13, 2025

The REACH Awards recognize outstanding achievement at the University of Victoria. They honour the extraordinary teachers and researchers who lead the way in dynamic learning and make a meaningful impact at UVic.

2024 Reach Awards for social sciences:

Gilian Sherwin Alumni Award—Excellence in Teaching - Gillian Krezoski - Geography

Gillian prioritizes hands-on learning and practical skill development providing geography students with marketable skills postgraduation. Students say she creates a safe space for learning, sharing and connecting and her passion and enthusiasm leave a lasting impact. Having received over $30,000 in teaching grants, Gillian has directly increased student accessibility through field-based and community-engaged learning. The field school she developed is one-of-its-kind in Canada. She is also a lead author on multiple open educational resources used province-wide, and she leads geodiversity and science and technology initiatives at UVic and in the community.

Excellence in Teaching - Dr. Natasha Wawrykow - Psychology

Natasha is the recipient of the Nəc̓əmaat kʷəns čeʔi ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ĆȺNEUEL OL ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN | Work together with a good heart and mind Award for Decolonization and Indigenous Anti-Racism. A member of the Skuppah Band (Nlaka’pamux Nation), Natasha strives to pursue collaborative Indigenous community-driven research topics and counselling opportunities that promote reconciliation and prosperity for the Indigenous community. Her research in Psychology highlights Indigenous ways of healing and contributes to culturally sensitive delivery of clinical service and research. Her coursework incorporates Indigenous pedagogy to teach how health can be experienced holistically for Indigenous peoples and promote strong, culturally appropriate therapeutic alliances. Her undergraduate and graduate courses on reconciliation promotion garnered national recognition and received a “Cool Course” distinction by Maclean’s Magazine.

Provost Awards

Advocacy and Activism Award in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

CindyAnn Rose-Redwood - Geography

The Department of Geography has benefitted from CindyAnn’s advocacy work for well over a decade. She is responsible for establishing the Department’s first equity and diversity committee as well as the Department’s first anti-racism course. More recently, these efforts have been recognized by the 2022 Social Sciences Above and Beyond Award, the 2023 American Association of Geographers Diversity and Inclusion award, and the 2024 Social Sciences Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion award. CindyAnn is a mentor to many visible minority students within the Department, which is underscored by her role as International Student Liaison. The University of Victoria and the field of Geography are all the better for CindyAnn’s tireless advocacy and activism work.