Past Teaching Fellow Bio's
Toupey Luft
July 2024 - June 2026
Over the past six years at the University of Lethbridge, it’s been my honour to learn from colleagues at the Teaching Centre through engaging in various opportunities for development and seeking feedback on my teaching practice as it has evolved. I have also been an active participant in the teaching community at UL by mentoring junior faculty members and participating in SoTL projects. I had the opportunity to be a co-investigator on a team led by Carina Zhu and funded by the Teaching Centre about how university faculty make meaning out of their teaching evaluations. Through my role as a Teaching Fellow, I like to continue contributing to the development of fellow faculty members, and advancing strategic priorities to enhance teaching across the university. My project, loosely defined, will focus on how faculty members can understand and work with the diverse needs of international students. I look forward to continued conversations with the Teaching Centre to gain a sense of what would be most helpful for all parties.
Ryan Harper-Brown
July 2024 - June 2026
Ryan is a Teaching Fellow and the Internship Coordinator for the New Media Department in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Iniskim (University of Lethbridge). His classes successfully incorporate work-integrated-learning to provide students with rewarding educational experiences. He teaches classes on Social Media, User-Generated Video, Developing Media for Children, Canadian Sketch Comedy, and Portfolio and Professional Practice.
Ryan has an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Victoria, a Master’s Degree in Film and Television Production from Bond University in Australia, and a BA in Communication Studies from Concordia University in Montréal.
You can usually find Ryan cycling around Lethbridge on one of his (too many) bicycles.
Sonya von Heyking
Dhillon School of Business
July 2023 - June 2025
I have been with the Dhillon School of Business since 2014, teaching a variety of courses in the accounting program, and leading significant program changes and innovations. Prior to joining business school, I spent eight years as head of internal audit at the U of L, and over three years in Big4 accounting firm. In addition to my CPA, CA designation, I also hold the ICD.D and CIA designations, as well CRMA, CCSA certifications from the Institute of Internal Auditors. As a recognized leader in the areas of governance and accounting, and a board director with four organizations at the local, provincial, and national level, I am continually engaged in strategy and adaptation, amid disruption and opportunity. These experiences allow me to bring theory to life in the classroom and excite my students about the future role of accounting, intelligent models for decision-making, and the role of organizations in responding to society’s changing needs and expectations.
This Teaching Fellowship provides much-needed time and support to develop accessible, high-quality, instructional materials for a diverse learner population. Through this partnership with the Teaching Centre I am able to contribute to a variety of their important initiatives, including article reviews for Light on Teaching and volunteering at SPARK, and they are able to provide valuable guidance and support with teaching initiatives or issues I am working through.