Tania Peres

Tania Peres is an exceptional teacher and her sustained, innovative, and deeply impactful contributions to student learning, faculty development, and program leadership at John Abbott College cannot be understated. Throughout her 20+ year career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to active, student-centred pedagogy, designing classrooms where students are continuously engaged through collaborative problem solving, guided inquiry, hands-on laboratory work, and creative activities such as games and simulations. Her teaching is marked by an impressive breadth of strategies that have helped students reinforce complex chemistry concepts in accessible and motivating ways.

Tania’s influence extends far beyond the classroom. She has developed a substantial repository of instructional materials that she freely shares with colleagues, and she routinely mentors new faculty. Her leadership in pedagogical innovation includes grant-supported development of online chemistry games, coaching at game-a-thons, and presentations at institutional and intercollegiate venues, including SALTISE. She has also contributed to province-wide initiatives, such as the creation of teaching resources to support Indigenous students transitioning to cégep.

Equally notable is Tania’s dedication to inclusivity and collaboration. She has redesigned courses to improve access to laboratory experiences for both science and non-science students, collaborated across departments to create interdisciplinary learning opportunities, and played a central role in developing and coordinating key components of both the Science and Arts and Sciences programs. As a coordinator and mentor, she is widely regarded by students as a trusted guide and role model. Tania Peres exemplifies excellence in teaching practice through innovation, generosity, leadership, and a profound commitment to student success.