Congratulations to Senior Instructor Clive Chapple, winner of a prestigious 2016 UBC Faculty of Arts Killam Teaching Prize. Clive started teaching economics in the Faculty of Arts in 2006, and since then has consistently demonstrated his accomplished teaching talents.
Dr. Clive Chapple
“I am honored to receive this award. I love teaching economics and I am inspired, year after year, by the extraordinary students that I have the privilege of teaching at UBC,” says Dr. Chapple. “I feel fortunate that I get to share my passion for economics with them and to learn from them in the process. Their insightful questions and comments frequently make me see familiar concepts in a different light and expose me to alternative disciplinary perspectives. This helps me become a better economist and a better teacher.”
Dr. Chapple teaches a wide variety of courses including cost-benefit analysis, environmental economics, and microeconomics at both the introductory and intermediate levels. He has taught an extraordinary number of students — over 4,500 in the VSE alone in just the past five years — with unmatched clarity, inspiration and engagement, leaving a lasting impact on hundreds of students at UBC each year.
“Clive is a gifted and extremely conscientious teacher, whose impact on student learning and indeed on the attitude toward teaching and teachers in general has been far-reaching,” says Professor Thomas Lemieux, VSE Director. “Clive is an enjoyable colleague to have around – amiable and witty. He takes his teaching responsibilities extremely seriously – Clive is very reliable and hardworking.”
In addition to teaching, Dr. Chapple has been engaged in a variety of initiatives and activities aimed to developing new programs and implementing new teaching methodologies. Numerous current and former students, and fellow faculty, submitted letters of support for Clive’s nomination for the Killam Teaching Prize. Please click on the heading below to read excerpts from their testimonials.
- When I’m in Dr. Chapple’s class I can feel pride for the education I’m pursuing rather than anxiety over the opportunity cost of it.
- Dr. Chapple’s thoughtful approach to teaching and his unmatched energy and enthusiasm create a unique experience for his students, and exemplify what a first-rate modern university education should be.
- What many students, including myself, perceived initially as a dry topic became compelling under Professor Chapple's tutelage.
- During all lectures and interactions, his obvious enthusiasm and upbeat demeanor did not go unnoticed by students, and certainly served as inspiration to others and myself.
- He instilled a love for and interest in the content that I did not realize I could attain. He has altered the way that I view the world and sparked passion for the topics he teaches. Both UBC and I are lucky to have such a caring and passionate educator.
- His courses are very dynamic and are always evolving based on students’ feedback, and following new advances in education technologies, and new discoveries in economics.
- Clive Chapple strives (and always succeeds) to create an atmosphere of mutual respect. Students are never intimidated or afraid to express their opinion and make a mistake.
- Professor Chapple’s support outside the classroom is not limited to his courses. He is open to discuss economics in general as well as to help students with a wide variety of issues, including their career goals and planning, presentation and teaching skills, computer skills, graduate school, etc.
- Clive is able to encourage students to rise to the challenge. This results in a class where students are willing to take on more responsibility for their education and push themselves harder.
