大象传媒

2025 FASS Cormack Teaching & Employee Achievement Awards: Psychology Recipients

October 16, 2025

We are pleased to announce the winners of this year's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Cormack Teaching Awards and Employee Achievement Awards (Teaching and Staff). 

These awards recognize the dedication and hard work of FASS faculty, staff, and temporary instructors in their collective service to students.

Among the recipients for the FASS Teaching Awards are Psychology's Dr. David Cox and Dr. Molly Cairncross. who received the Cormack Teaching Award, as well as Dr. Jason Proulx, who received the Employee Achievement - Teaching Award for Sessional Instructors.

Winners for the Employee Achievement - Staff Awards include Allen Yee, Psychology's Manager, Academic & Administrative Services, as well as Psychology's Administrative Staff team: Baixue Wang, Cerisse Dela Cruz, Emily Co, Ferruccio Susin, Iris Lee, Margaret Elsey, Nicole Ceron, and Paige Gant.

Congratulations to all of our winners from Psychology!

Cormack Teaching Awards

Established by former FASS Dean Lesley Cormack in 2010 to celebrate excellence and innovation in teaching within the faculty, the award recognizes the passion that faculty members bring to the classroom, their quality of pedagogy, and the value they bring to their students鈥 education and the FASS teaching community.

Dr. David Cox

An associate professor and a clinical psychologist, David Cox specializes in health psychology and human performance. He is a member of 大象传媒 Psychology's graduate training program in clinical psychology and has served as senior supervisor to over 40 graduate students. He co-authored a widely used university textbook, The Psychology of Health and Health Care: A Canadian Perspective, now in its sixth edition. Over the past 40 years, Cox has been actively involved in the McCreary Center Society in its advocacy research on adolescent health and has established himself as one of Canada鈥檚 leading sport and performance psychologists, working with athletes and teams at all levels, including multiple Olympic teams. He is currently the Chair of the Sports Medicine Council of British Columbia, a position he has held for almost three decades. In recognition of his contributions, he was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2021鈥攖he first psychologist in the province to receive this honour.

Dr. Molly Cairncross

Molly Cairncross is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Investigator at BC Children鈥檚 Hospital Research Institute, and clinical psychologist. Her research aims to better understand risk and resilience factors associated with recovery from mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion. Using these insights, she aims to develop, test, and implement digital health interventions to support youth and their families after concussion. Her goal is to use digital platforms to connect youth and families with evidence-based knowledge and care that is accessible, cost effective, and informed by the needs of patients, families, and health care providers. Cairncross teaches courses on developmental psychopathology, child and adolescent assessment and treatment formulation, and biological bases of behaviour. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the concept that learning occurs best when students are actively engaged, material is viewed as relevant to their lives, and instructors can evoke emotional or memorable learning experiences.

Sessional Instructor Award

To recognize a sessional instructor who excels in one or more of the following areas: engaging students in discovery of new knowledge; introducing innovative pedagogical approaches to learning; encouraging and supporting student learning; organizing and delivering an interesting and challenging syllabus; exemplifying collegiality, professionalism, and interdisciplinary respect. 

Dr. Jason Proulx

Driven by a deep passion for teaching, Jason Proulx co-created inclusive and engaging learning spaces with students to help them feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow. Jason was recognized for his innovative and student-centred teaching in which he made complex ideas accessible and meaningful through storytelling, demonstrations, and grounded in students鈥 diverse everyday experiences. His teaching emphasized growth鈥攅mpowering students to gain mastery through regular practice and guidance鈥攁nd helping students apply their learning beyond the classroom to support their daily lives, communities, and future careers. Students describe his classes as 鈥渁 breath of fresh air,鈥 highlighting his warmth, approachability, and ability to spark curiosity. As a community-engaged researcher, Jason studied how to foster well-being, social connection, and prosocial behaviour. Jason applied this research into the classroom so that students left not just with new knowledge and skills, but the friendships and joyful memories that last a lifetime. Sadly, Jason passed away suddenly in late August 2025, but this award commemorates his passion for and commitment to teaching that will remain.

Individual Work Performance Award

To recognize a FASS staff member who demonstrates work performance that is consistently above and beyond their job description.

Allen Yee

Known for his dry and sarcastic sense of humour, it鈥檚 a surprise to Allen Yee himself that despite all that, he lasted sixteen years at 大象传媒 and thirteen of those in the Department of Psychology. Before becoming the department manager, he served as the sole student advisor for eleven of those years under the guidance and compassionate tutelage of then managers Beverley Davino and Tara Smith. Yee learned from these two giants and credits their mentorship for what he does today. He views his success not as an indicator of his individual performance, but a reflection of the trust and support he received from his team, department chair, faculty members, and Dean鈥檚 office. 

Team Work Performance Award

To recognize a high-performing team which exemplifies collaboration and cooperation and which demonstrates a significant contribution with results on behalf of their department/unit and FASS.

Psychology Administrative Staff

23,911 days or 65.5 years represents the combined 大象传媒 experience of the Psychology Administrative team. However, these numbers alone cannot capture the dedication this team shows to its faculty, students, and to one another. The PSYC Admin staff is made up of exceptional individuals who go above and beyond every day. They are deeply committed to collaboration and cooperation, supporting each other through challenging projects and celebrating one another鈥檚 achievements, both professional and personal.

The Department of Psychology's administrative staff team consists of Baixue Wang, Cerisse Dela Cruz, Emily Co, Ferruccio Susin, Iris Lee, Margaret Elsey, Nicole Ceron, and Paige Gant.

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