Running injury prof wins McCaig-Killam Teaching award

Dr. Reed Ferber, PhD, studies how the body moves, specifically around running injuries. He's a world renowned researcher in the field of biomechanics, and has won many awards for his work. In addition to his work as a researcher, Ferber has been teaching all levels of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum in the faculties of Kinesiology, Nursing, and Engineering at the University of Calgary for over 15 years. 

Over these years, he's racked up numerous teaching awards and has been recognized for his teaching excellence nearly every year. It will come as no surprise to his students that this year, Ferber has been recognized with the prestigious McCaig-Killam Teaching Award.

“It was always apparent that Dr. Ferber was willing to go the extra mile and help my fellow students and me,” says Talia Campbell, a former student. “Dr. Ferber taught me the incredibly valuable skills of critical thinking and integrating information. It was obvious that he has a breadth of teaching styles and techniques and the fact that he can teach both a large and a small class so effectively is a tribute to his passion for teaching and ability as an educator.”

Mentorship philosophy

Ferber also has a philosophy that teachers learn from each other, and he consistently creates opportunities for sharing knowledge with faculty members he's mentored over the years.

In one instance he was asked to attend his colleague’s lectures, providing critical and constructive feedback. This helped to foster the colleague’s teaching style and to develop a teaching philosophy that suited him best.

Ferber has also played a significant role in mentoring graduate students in the Kinesiology Graduate Program. In his 15 years with UCalgary, he's been the primary supervisor for eight postdoctoral fellows, 10 PhDs, and five MSc students. He's also served as a supervisory committee member for another seven PhD and four MSc students. He's currently the primary supervisor for three PhD students, a MSc student, and a postdoctoral fellow, and sits on the supervisory committee for another seven PhD and two MSc students.

Many of Ferber’s past students have gone on to careers in physiotherapy, medicine, chiropractic, and other fitness-related industries and other unique roles both within and outside of academia.

“Reed is an internationally recognized scholar and he is now being recognized for his leadership in teaching and learning,” says Dr. Dru Marshall, provost and vice-president (academic). “It is important to celebrate our educational leaders, as their work directly impacts our future leaders, more broadly the student experience, and the forward trajectory of all of our students”.