Waterloo’s Norah McRae and Judene Pretti among CEIA’s 2020 award recipients

Norah McRae, Associate Provost for Co-operative Experiential Education, and Judene Pretti, Director of the Waterloo Centre for the Advancement of Co-operative Education (WatCACE), have been recognized by Co-operative Education and Internship Association (CEIA) as 2020 award recipients. These awards are given out annually to recognize distinguished achievements and significant impact in the field of work-integrated learning.

McRae is awarded The Dean Herman Schneider Award for her significant and comprehensive record of contributions towards the advancement of the philosophy and practice of co-operative education. This award is presented annually to those who have demonstrated great success, typically spanning more than ten years, in the practice of co-operative education and internships.

McRae’s career in the field of work-integrated learning spans more than 20 years. Through her research on topics such as student engagement, community-engaged learning and intercultural competency development, her philosophy and leadership has strongly influenced experiential learning worldwide.

“It’s an honour to be recognized by CEIA because their association is instrumental in providing strong resources to support the field of co-operative education,” says McRae.

“I am also incredibly grateful for the academic institutions and global partners I’ve had the pleasure to work with through my career, striving to provide distinguished service, leadership and advancement to our global communities through quality work-integrated learning programs. Now, more than ever, our collective commitment to growth and excellence in this space enables us to equip and empower our stakeholders for a complex future.”

Alongside McRae, Pretti is awarded the Ralph W. Tyler Award for her outstanding and distinguished research and publication in the field of co-operative education and internships. This award is presented to those who lead research and publications highlighting new knowledge and understanding associated with experiential learning.

Pretti’s role within WatCACE involves building strong partnerships with key stakeholders in both national and international co-op and work-integrated learning communities. These relationships enable WatCACE to identify priority areas for research and discover findings that are then shared within the global work-integrated learning community.

“It’s very exciting to receive the Ralph W. Tyler Award from CEIA,” says Pretti. “Research and insights into work-integrated learning are imperative to the development of quality experiential programming. WatCACE is lucky to be one of few centres in the world dedicated to this type of work."

Pretti's award recognized her collaboration with researchers from New Zealand and Australia. "I am grateful to have the opportunity to pursue international research collaborations, such as the one being recognized in this award with Dr. Jenny Fleming from Auckland University of Technology, and Dr. Kathryn McLachlan from Macquarie University. I’m also thankful for the ongoing effort of the entire WatCACE team and truly appreciate that we are being recognized for our research excellence. We look forward to continuing our work to further the University of Waterloo’s global leadership in co-operative education.”

Congratulations to Norah McRae and Judene Pretti for their phenomenal accomplishments. Their contributions to co-operative education and work-integrated learning help the University of Waterloo ensure our students and employers are better equipped for the future of work and learning.