Anna Augusto Rodrigues, a professor with the School of Media Arts & Design, was recently awarded the John Ansel Distinguished Service Award by the Broadcast Education Association of Canada (BEAC), a national organization dedicated to promoting excellence in media education.

Rodrigues received the award, which recognizes outstanding service and commitment to the BEAC, on May 23 during the association’s annual Professional Development and Student Awards Conference.

“I was not expecting this honour and was very surprised to hear my name when it was called out,” said Rodrigues. “I am deeply honoured and humbled to be amongst a special group of people that throughout the years have tirelessly, and with great heart, worked toward providing a better education for all broadcast students across Canada by being part of the BEAC.”

In addition, Rodrigues was also awarded the BEAC’s Diversity Research and Internship Faculty Grant, which will go toward a project focused on teaching practices.  

Rodrigues, who attended the conference to deliver a presentation titled Inclusive Teaching in Broadcast Education and its Potential Impact on the Canadian Media Landscape applied for the Diversity Research and Internship Faculty Grant as part of the project.  The funding will help support the creation of a video showcasing an instructor who uses inclusive teaching practises in conjunction with funding received from the college’s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI).

As a result of receiving the grant, she will be employing a couple of Durham College students to create the video with plans to continue working on the project throughout the summer months.

Rodrigues was also recently nominated by a BEAC board member for the Ontario director position, making her the secretary for this term. She previously served on the board from 2011-2013 and served as a director at large, taking on the duties of vice president. Although she stepped away in order to pursue her PhD in Education, Rodrigues has completed her coursework and is pleased to be back.

 “I was privileged to be nominated again and delighted to accept the nomination. The BEAC is a wonderful organization and I have to thank my dean, Greg Murphy, and Durham College for supporting my involvement with this organization,” said Rodrigues.