Congratulations to Amy Barron, the 2026 recipient of the Warren Ober Award for Outstanding Teaching by Graduate Students — an award recognizing graduate students who have made a meaningful impact through their teaching within the Faculty of Arts. Barron is completing her PhD in Psychology and will be defending her dissertation this spring.
This award was established by the late Dr. Warren Ober, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English. A 1992 recipient of Waterloo's Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA), Ober created the graduate teaching award by using the stipend he received from his DTA. Graduate student teachers are nominated by faculty members in their area. Barron was nominated by Dr. Ramona Bobocel, Professor and Director of the Fairness at Work Lab, Psychology — whose comments on Barron's teaching impacts are shared below:
Amy Barron
“[Amy Barron] has proven herself to be a dedicated and exceptional teacher and mentor to the students and has performed at the level we expect of our best faculty members.”
Over the past year, Barron co-taught Psychology 492: Psychological Measurement—the department’s capstone methods and statistics course—while also mentoring undergraduate students in hands-on research courses. Known for its complexity and experiential design, the course requires students to develop and evaluate their own psychological measures. According to Bobocel, Barron brought “exceptional thoughtfulness and organizational skills” to the role and “masterfully navigated” significant course changes and instructional demands.
Barron’s teaching has been defined by her ability to make advanced material accessible and engaging. “Amy is a clear and engaging communicator,” says Bobocel. “She incorporates evidence-based, active-learning techniques to demystify concepts, show relevance, and promote higher-order thinking,” helping students build both confidence and deeper understanding."
Beyond the classroom, Barron is recognized for her impact as a mentor. “I could see real student learning occurring,” Bobocel notes, pointing to students who have gone on to present their work and pursue further academic opportunities as a result of Barron’s guidance.
"I'm incredibly honoured to receive this award," says Barron. "Teaching PSYCH 492 has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my graduate career, and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work so closely with undergraduate students."
Barron adds: "Learning how to support student learning and make my lectures engaging, as well as learning how to balance teaching with my PhD research would not have been possible without the continued support and encouragement I received from my supervisor, Dr. Ramona Bobocel, the Department of Psychology, and the Faculty of Arts. I feel incredibly grateful to be part of the University of Waterloo's academic community."