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Yorkville University recently announced the four inaugural recipients of the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence – an annual award celebrating faculty who exemplify outstanding dedication to student learning and academic excellence.
The newly launched award program, which recognizes faculty for their contributions to “inspiring and facilitating learning in ways that leave a lasting and meaningful impact on students,” named Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology faculty Rahul Jain and Deborah Seabrook, Bachelor of Interior Design professor Erin Martyn, and Associate of Arts instructor Mona Hoorvash as its inaugural winners.
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“These faculty not only exemplify Yorkville’s Core Values, but also demonstrate a remarkable ability to inspire and motivate students, cultivate inclusive and supportive learning environments, foster student success within the classroom and beyond, and continuously refine their teaching practice,” said Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes, President and Vice Chancellor of Yorkville University.
“By recognizing the achievements of these outstanding educators, we affirm our deep commitment to fostering a culture of excellence in teaching and learning.”
The President’s Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes and celebrates faculty who:
– cultivate dynamic and interactive learning environments that motivate and challenge students to explore their curiosities, deepen their skills, and apply their learning in new and impactful ways
– offer learners constructive, timely, and specific feedback that inspires them to reflect on their work, encouraging growth, resilience, and a commitment to continuous improvement
– create inclusive learning environments that anticipate, celebrate, and respond to the diversity of learner needs and experiences;
– engage students in authentic learning opportunities that enable them to demonstrate our Signature Learning Outcomes, enhance their employability, expand their professional networks, and connect them to communities.
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2025 President’s Award For Teaching Excellence Recipients:
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Mona Hoorvash | Associate of Arts
“This award means a lot to me – not just as recognition, but as a reminder of why I teach. It is an honour that strengthens my dedication to supporting students in our shared journey of learning, resilience, and discovery.”
Bio: Mona Hoorvash holds a PhD in English Literature and has been teaching for over 20 years across three continents. Her classrooms are shaped by care, critical thinking, and a deep belief in education as a space for transformation. Her research explores the margins – amplifying underrepresented voices, subjectivities, and stories that challenge dominant narratives.
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Rahul Jain | Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
It is a profound honour to receive the prestigious Yorkville University President’s Award for Teaching Excellence. I am immensely grateful for this recognition, which I regard as a sacred trust placed in me. I am committed to upholding that trust through continual striving for excellence and growth as an educator, making a meaningful impact on my students’ learning journeys.”
Bio: Dr. Rahul Jain is an Adjunct Professor in the MACP program at Yorkville University. He brings an extensive background in clinical practice, nearly fifteen years of experience in the mental health field, and nearly decade-long teaching experience at the university level.
Before joining Yorkville, Dr. Jain worked as a Clinical Supervisor and Psychotherapist/Mental Health Clinician for the government of BC and taught at public universities in British Columbia. He was the recipient of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Excellence in Teaching Award, 2022. While at UNBC, Dr. Jain developed several graduate level courses including Mental Illness and Addictions Among Indigenous Children/Youth; and Crisis Work with Indigenous Children/Youth: Restoring Balance.
Dr. Jain has published in peer-reviewed journals, and he has secured competitive research grants, including an Interior University Research Coalition (IURC) and Ministry of Health (MoH) research grant for a mental health project. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and also served as a keynote speaker.
Given his multidisciplinary background, Dr. Jain has taught students from nursing, counselling, education, psychology, social work, gender studies, and First Nations studies.
Teaching Philosophy: Inclusive and student-centric teaching underpins Dr. Jain’s teaching philosophy. He practices and teaches from a strengths-based perspective and through a trauma-informed lens. Passionate about teaching, he believes that the joy of teaching should correspond with the joy of learning, and he strives to implement this belief through commitment to consistent refinement and enhancement of his teaching skills and methods.
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Erin Martyn | Bachelor of Interior Design
“What a thrill to be acknowledged for doing something that I truly love! One of my primary goals as an interior design instructor is to help students see their ability to impact communities and the environment through their work. I am deeply humbled to be recognized for making an impact here in our Yorkville community.”
Bio: Erin Martyn, Adjunct Professor of Interior Design at Yorkville University, has over a decade of experience in design education. Through both teaching and curriculum development, Erin strives to create collaborative and inclusive learning communities, as well as prepare students for professional success. Her research interests include social justice in the built environment and online studio culture.
Erin has worked as design project manager for an Atlanta-based interior design firm and developed brand prototypes for Intercontinental Hotels Group. Her designs have been featured in multiple industry publications. In 2025, Erin completed a graduate certificate in Leadership in Social Justice from Yorkville’s Master of Education program. She was an Academic Honors Fellow when earning her M.F.A in Interior Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (2010). Erin received her B.A. in Literature and Studio Art from the University of Virginia in 2005, and was awarded their Aunspaugh Fellowship.
She currently resides in Arizona with her husband and three children.
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Deborah Seabrook | Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
“It is an honour receive this award. I will take this opportunity recognize the many dedicated MACP students I work with; I am inspired by their commitment to supporting vulnerable people in our communities through clinical and advocacy work.”
Bio: Dr. Deborah Seabrook, PhD, RP, RCC, MTA (she/her) is a Registered Psychotherapist with the CRPO, a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BCACC, a Certified Music Therapist with the CAMT, and a Climate-Aware Therapist with the CPA-NA. In these roles, Deborah has the privilege of being alongside people who face challenging situations with courage and authenticity. Her work as a clinician, educator, and scholar is shaped by these experiences; grounded in deep listening, compassion, and creativity.
Deborah’s current research and scholarly publications aim to shift consciousness around the climate emergency and metacrisis and motivate transformative, life-affirming action. She is particularly focused on co-exploring how counselling psychology and music psychotherapy can support the composting of harmful systems and move us toward greater kinship and balance with all living beings.
Deborah is currently full-time faculty in the MA in Counselling Psychology program at Yorkville University, where she teaches primarily skills-based counselling courses. She also trains mental health professionals from across Canada and Turtle Island to integrate music in their clinical work through her Music-Integrated Therapy Training program and private practice, Seabrook Music Therapy: https://deborahseabrook.com/
Deborah currently lives on the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg.
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2025 Honourees
In addition to our 2025 Recipients, we are also pleased to announce five additional President’s Award for Teaching Excellence Honourees:
– Kate Carder – Bachelor of Creative Arts
– Ismaeil Fazel – Liberal Arts, Associate of Arts
– Rosanne Nunnery – Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
– Bernie Potvin – Master of Education
– Patrick Preston – Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
Yorkville University would like to extend our congratulations to all of the inaugural President’s Award for Teaching Excellence recipients and honourees.
For more information about the awards program, go to https://www.yorkvilleu.ca/presidents-award/
