Dr. Stephen McNeil was named one of Canada's Top 10 and presented with the 2025 3M National Teaching Fellowship Monday.
UBC Okanagan's Dr. W. Stephen McNeil is now officially one of Canada's top educators, earning a 2025 3M National Teaching Fellowship on Monday.
Presented 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.
Dr. McNeil, Associate Professor of Chemistry , says the classroom is just the beginning of a student's university learning experience. 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," explains Dr. McNeil.
"More importantly, we're training people how to think like scientists, and how to interpret ideas and data in their daily lives. I've come to realize that my role as an educator is to prepare scientifically literate citizens as well as capable scientists. This has enormous impact on what I choose to teach, and how I choose to teach it."
A founding member of UBC Okanagan's faculty, Dr. McNeil joined the Department of Chemistry in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science (previously the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences) in 2005 when the campus first opened its doors. Since then, he has fostered a strong reputation for educational innovation and has advanced his inclusive teaching style grounded in learner-centred approaches.
"It's a great honour to be named a 3M National Teaching Fellow," says Dr. 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."
This award marks the first time an instructor from UBC Okanagan has received a 3M National Teaching Fellowship, building on the many impressive accolades Dr. McNeil has received over the course of his career. These past recognitions include the Open Education Resources Excellence and Impact Award (2024), the West Coast Teaching Excellence Award (2023), the Chemical Institute of Canada Award for Chemistry Education (2019), the Killam Teaching Prize (2018) and the Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (2009).
He was also named a UBCO Teaching Fellow for 2024-25 and continues to play a leading role in supporting and growing UBC Okanagan's teaching and learning culture.
"This award is a well-deserved recognition of the passion and dedication to teaching that Dr. McNeil has continuously brought to UBC Okanagan since its earliest days," says Dr. Rehan Sadiq, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, at UBC's Okanagan campus. "His willingness to embrace innovation and try new approaches has led to truly transformative learning experiences that have supported students in his classroom and across our campus, helping to shape the learning environment we are so proud of today."
With this award, Dr. McNeil joins a distinguished group of Canadian educators who are celebrated for teaching excellence and educational leadership. 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.
