Prestigious national teaching award for director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University

Professor David Newhouse named 2022 3M Teaching Fellow by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

PETERBOROUGH (May 3, 2022) – Professor David Newhouse, director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University, has been named among Canada’s most outstanding university educators and winner of one of 10 prestigious 3M Teaching Fellowships.

“Prof. Newhouse’s creativity, compassion and dedication have underpinned his excellence as a teacher of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. His decades long leadership of the Indigenous Studies program at Trent has led to transformative change within individuals, and within educational institutions throughout Canada, bringing more prominence to and acceptance of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) within the academy,” shares Dr. Michael Khan, provost and vice-president Academic at Trent University. “Professor Newhouse has steadfastly committed to teaching at all levels, and Trent has benefited particularly from his mentorship and guidance of first-year students, the teaching of whom he views as a ‘privilege’.”

As a talented and inspiring educator in Indigenous Studies, Prof. Newhouse has supported many landmark achievements at Trent University including the launch of Canada’s first Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program, founding the First Peoples House of Learning, and helping to craft the University mandate that ensures every undergraduate student completes at least one course with an Indigenous focus. His trusted leadership over the decades has helped Trent University build Indigenous perspectives in its policies, research ethics, and academic programming.

“It is an honour to be recognized by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and 3M. These achievements are the result of the collaborative efforts of many who believe in the importance of bringing Indigenous Knowledge into the academy,” says Prof. Newhouse. “I hold fast to the belief that it is not enough to teach about Indigenous Peoples, but that Indigenous Knowledge can inform pedagogy and academe in all its facets, extending its rafters to include it.”

As director of Trent’s Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies, and the long-serving chair of Indigenous Studies, Prof. Newhouse has transformed individual lives by providing academic, cultural and emotional support to Indigenous students, many of whom bolstered his nomination with letters of support.

“Professor Newhouse’s ‘gentle rigour’ always encouraged me to go deeper with my reflections, to ask more complex questions, and to strive to connect complex ideas together in a way that was unconventional,” shares one former student in a letter of support. “In many ways, he provided a very important foundation for me to launch my academic career as an interdisciplinary scholar and to be courageous with my ideas.”

Nationally, Prof. Newhouse has provided leadership through organizations such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the
Canadian Association of University Teachers.

The 3M National Teaching Fellowship is sponsored by both 3M Canada and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). Founded in 1986, the Fellowship honours
exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at the post-secondary level.

About Trent University
One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.

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For more information, please contact:
Cara Walsh, Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6240 or
carawalsh@trentu.ca