Dr. Shirley R Steinberg BEd '87, MEd '91
2006 Distinguished Alumna of the Year
The University of Lethbridge Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus/a of the Year Award recognizes individuals for exceptional professional achievements, academic excellence, and/or contributions to society. The Association is proud to recognize Dr. Shirley Steinberg as the 2006 Distinguished Alumna of the Year for her accomplishments as a teacher, scholar and champion of students in the field of education.
Steinberg began her career as an educator in 1978 as the adult education coordinator/instructor for the Cardston School Division. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a bachelor of education degree in English language arts education in 1987 and a master of education degree in 1991. She went on to teach in several southern Alberta schools before moving to the U.S. and completing her PhD in curriculum and instruction at Pennsylvania State University in 1997.
Currently an associate professor of education at McGill University, Steinberg is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on such diverse topics as urban education, critical pedagogy, cultural studies and the media's influence on students. She has taught at four universities and been a visiting scholar at post-secondary institutions in three Canadian provinces and Korea. Her energy, sensitivity and imagination allow her to engage students and support their personal growth as well as their understanding of critical ideas. She encourages teachers to view themselves as part of larger economic, political and social systems and to critique those systems through the lens of social justice issues. Her work on how teachers can bring new levels of critical inquiry to their work has served as a point of renewal and inspiration for educators.
A leader in educational research, Steinberg has written or edited more than 21 books. She is the founding editor of Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education and is currently a member of six international editorial boards. Her willingness to mentor students and colleagues through the publishing process facilitates productive scholarship in education. Famous in academic circles for her work, she has been invited to speak in many countries and received numerous awards for her teaching and writing. Her professional honours include the 1999 Adelphi University Woman of Distinction award, the 1997 Myers Outstanding Book Award from the Gustavus Myers Centre for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights in North America and the American Educational Studies Association Critic's Choice Book Award in 1995, 1997 and 2004.