Michael Gonyeau receives Bouvé Distinguished Educator Award
The Bouvé College Distinguished Educator Award, recognizing a faculty member’s continuing commitment to outstanding teaching and related activities, was awarded to Clinical Professor Michael Gonyeau, a member of the Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences. The award recognizes a full-time faculty member who has demonstrated a pattern of excellence in teaching.
Dr. Laura Mylott from the School of Nursing presented the award at a recent college faculty meeting. “Dr. Gonyeau has a long and distinguished record of innovative and high quality teaching at Northeastern. He is described as very learner-centered, and one who truly partners with students for mutual learning. Dr. Gonyeau’s teaching innovations include the conceptualization and development of two popular electives: Exploring Academic Careers and Leadership and Advocacy in the Health Professions. In addition, he coordinates and teaches several core courses in the undergraduate curriculum. Dr. Gonyeau has received internal funding for numerous projects that use technology and various interventions to enhance the effectiveness teaching/learning strategies and safe, effective medication delivery—a critical need in contemporary healthcare. Dr. Gonyeau maintains an active Pharmacy Practice at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which also supports a rich learning opportunities for students.”
Dr. Gonyeau expressed gratitude as he accepted the honor. “I am learning more now about teaching than when I started, and for that to be recognized is incredibly rewarding,” It’s nice to be here and to be as excited about teaching as I was when I first began fifteen years ago. I am less focused on content and now it’s more about developing relationships with the classes; this is when the learning actually occurs and becomes more organic.” Regarding his philosophy of learning, he states, “I would like to be that teacher who, even after decades in education and practice, leaves every class or patient encounter asking how the next might be improved and how to better engage and inspire students and patients. As my approach to education has evolved since accepting my position at Northeastern University in 2000, I have focused less on my “teaching” and more on engaging in the necessary partnership that must develop between students or patients and me to achieve the most effective learning experience.”
(Back to SPRING 2015 NEWSLETTER)