Shannon Murray is an exceptional colleague, scholar, collaborator, and educational leader. As a 3M National Teaching Fellow, Coordinator of the Fellowship, active member of STLHE since 1998, and key figure in teaching and learning professional development in Atlantic Canada, she has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the culture of scholarly teaching and mentorship.

Dr. Shannon Murray is a Professor in the English Department at UPEI and a highly decorated teaching award winner. Among other honours, she has the UPEI Presidential Award of Merit for Teaching, the Atlantic Association of Universities (AAU) Distinguished Service Award for contributions to Faculty Development, and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship (2001).

Her passion lies in steering, mentoring, and advocating for others in order to make their work visible, valued, and celebrated. She created and funded the Janet Pottie Murray Award for Educational Leadership. As 3M National Teaching Fellowship Co-ordinator, retreat facilitator, and long-time adjudicator, Shannon “models the essence of what it means to be an outstanding fellow” (Deb Dawson), providing effective leadership, mentorship and detailed individual attention to nominees and Fellows alike who are “inspired by her commitment, integrity and agency” (2014 3M NTF cohort). She encouraged new Fellows “to think imaginatively about the kind of role we might play as a cohort, and she inspired us to become true ambassadors of the Fellowship in our respective institutions as in our everyday lives.”

Shannon has published and given workshops, conference talks, and keynote addresses on critical hope and critical empathy in the classroom, threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge, teaching for creativity, learning communities, active learning and collaborative teaching, and experiential learning in the Humanities. A facilitator and leader in the Faculty Development Summer Institute for Active Learning since 2002, she has also served on the STLHE Board as Membership Chair and on the 3M National Student Fellowship committee, adjudicated the Brightspace and Alan Blizzard Awards, and chaired both the AAU Teaching Showcase and the 2005 STLHE conference. She was the Director of Faculty Development at her home institution for 5 years.

Shannon Murray’s force of goodness and grace, her elegance with a dash of irreverence, makes her an ally, advocate, and champion for the Canadian teaching and learning community – and it also makes her a beloved friend, mentor, and kindred spirit. In a recent work, Shannon quotes director Athena Stevens, who – when asked why we keep doing Shakespeare – says “Because he was a human being who saw the full humanity in other human beings” – no matter how small their roles seem to be. Shannon models that humanity every day – and shows us a way forward, creating a world “where our leaders can remain their best selves and still lead us” (Murray 2020).