Associate Professor Rua Murray has won the prestigious University of Canterbury Teaching Medal for 2021.
Associate Professor Murray is being recognised for his outstanding and sustained contribution to teaching and teaching leadership at UC and to the wider community across New Zealand.
He has previously been recognised with a UC Teaching Award, an Ako Aotearoa National Sustained Tertiary Teaching Excellence award for sustained excellence and has been recognised as a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
Associate Professor Murray is a valued teaching leader on campus, who has led Academic Board discussions on Teaching Quality and is currently involved in a project briefing the Ministry of Education on mathematical literacy for New Zealand schools. His student evaluations of his teaching are very strong – and this is exceptional when considering the large size of his lectures. He inspires the best possible outcomes for students through reflective teaching that is student centred, highly structured, innovative and constantly updated. He has also supervised a large number of postgraduate students.
The UC Teaching Medal is the University’s highest award for teaching excellence and is only awarded from time to time. It will be formally presented to Associate Professor Murray at a Council celebration in November.