Dr. Andrew Mantulak receives Leadership in Wellness Award
October 17, 2018
Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Mantulak, Associate Professor at King’s School of Social Work, for being selected as a recipient of Western’s Leadership in Wellness Award of Recognition.
As part of Western Wellness Week held October 1-5, the award recognized faculty members who promote the mental health of their students in their daily work at Western and affiliates.
Dr. Mantulak felt “very humbled and honoured” to receive the award, especially because a student nominated him for the award.
“As professors our goal is always to create an environment in the classroom that will enable students to thrive but to find out for some students my approach proved successful is very satisfying to say the least,” he says.
The nomination said, in part, that Dr. Mantulak “engages the class in a round table discussion about how placements are going and weaves into the discussion the topic of the lecture. He allows (students) to gives feedback on each other’s placement experiences and collaborate with each other to solve problems with him as the facilitator. (Dr. Mantulak) uses his skills as a professor effectively to create a safe classroom environment for all students to share their experiences and participate.”
The student who nominated Dr. Mantulak admitted to having social anxiety that often prevented him from participating in classes but said “I have never had a problem in the format which Andrew presents his class.”
Dr. Mantulak says he strives to create a classroom where students are always able to be themselves while recognizing everyone comes from different background with different learning styles. He uses his background as a clinical social work to be attune to student wellness and feels the responsibility to ensure students are feeling supported. He remains sensitive to the fact that, for many, learning is part of his students’ very busy lives.
In his classes, whether it be undergrad or graduate courses, Dr. Mantulak speaks of the importance of self-care and seeking support when needed. He sees it as his responsibility to provide support and assistance necessary to give students the greatest opportunity to succeed both within and outside of the classroom.
“To know I made a difference to even one student is validation that on some level my approach to teaching has merit. To know I contributed to a student’s learning and development is humbling,” Dr. Mantulak says.
Congratulations Dr. Mantulak.