CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Health & Life Sciences faculty member awarded Conestoga's top teaching honour

Karl Weiss, professor and simulation educator from the School of Health & Life Sciences, has been presented with a 2024 Aubrey Hagar Distinguished Teaching Award.

Established in 1988, the award is named in honour of respected teacher, mentor and innovator Aubrey Hagar, who, as a member of the college's founding Board of Governors, provided leadership to the college for more than two decades in director roles.

Weiss holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiology from McGill University, a Respiratory Therapy diploma from The Michener Institute of Education, and a Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education from Athabasca University. He joined Conestoga in 2007 and continues to work part-time as a respiratory therapist at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Instrumental in developing the use of simulation as a teaching tool, Weiss has played an active role in program accreditation and curriculum design, with many of the resources he designed used extensively throughout the School of Health & Life Sciences, the School of Community Services and beyond.

Students have benefitted greatly from Weiss' practical and effective teaching approach, which draws upon his vast experience in the field to train. He takes into account the psychological impact of simulated-based training on students, ensuring appropriate measures are in place to address potentially disturbing or triggering scenarios.

Weiss' mentorship and lessons are recalled by many alumni years after graduating. He uses engaging and humorous methods to help students deal with the pressures of respiratory therapy training, and has developed gamification techniques to assist with learning. Karl is always available to answer questions outside of teaching hours, and is a faculty advisor on the student-run Conestoga Respiratory Therapy Federation.

In the community, Weiss serves as educational director on the Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario's board of directors. He is a founding member of the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) Simulation Network, and regularly attends and presents at the CSRT annual conference. He also serves on the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Respiratory Therapy. Throughout his more than 25 years in the field, Weiss has had several presentations and publications to his credit.

The award was presented to Weiss on February 26 as part of the college's winter convocation celebration.

Candidates are nominated by students and peers and evaluated by a selection committee based on contributions to learning design, innovation and creativity, integrity and professionalism, promotion of quality in education, concern and sensitivity for students, and ambassadorship for the college.