Let us introduce ourselves!

Bill Nelson is a Professor at Queen's University in the Biology Department. He is currently the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) for the Faculty of Arts and Science having held that position since 2020. In that role, he acts as the academic lead for curriculum development, quality assurance, cross-departmental programming initiatives, development of evidence-based metrics for curriculum efficiency, and management of temporary teaching resource allocation for the Faculty. 

Bill has led several key initiatives for the Faculty of Arts and Science. He led redevelopment of an innovative Visual Art degree plan shared among three academic units following a difficult decision to suspend the Fine Art program. He co-led development of the Modular Degree Framework which saw the transformation of over a 100 degree plans from large and siloed degrees to smaller ones where students are able to combine Major-Minor combinations from across the Creative Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. The Modular Degree Framework involved working with 28 academic unit simultaneously and was completed in a dizzyingly fast 16 months. Ongoing major projects include the development of a new work integrated learning for the Faculty aimed at creating access for students in the Arts and Humanities, principal investigator for a successful $125K team grant to develop a course-sharing program across 10 universities, amd development of a first-year inquiry science program that brings research into the classroom from day one. 

Bill is a population ecologist with over 50 peer reviewed articles, including in Nature and Science, and over $1.5M in research funding. He is an editorial board member for the academic journal Population Ecology (Wiley) and author of the textbook Taking the Anxiety out of Statistics (Kendall-Hunt; 2021). His current research uses a combination of laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling to study the evolution of insecticide resistance in tortricid moths.

Bill has received teaching awards from the Biology department and curriculum development awards from the university. He was undergraduate chair in the Biology department from 2014 to 2018 and oversaw the redevelopment of the second year program. Including the design and development of a new 2nd year laboratory only course along with overseeing the design and construction of a new dedicated  active learning wet lab space.

Jenn Stephenson is a Professor at Queen's University in the DAN School of Drama and Music. From 2019 to 2025, she served as Associate Dean (Academic) for the Faculty of Arts and Science. In that capacity, she acted as the academic lead for the Student Services group with responsibilities for academic advising, registration, petitions and appeals, academic consideration for extenuating circumstances and academic accommodation for students with disabilities, academic integrity, and curriculum development and revisions. 

She led several notable initiatives for the Faculty. Jenn was the instigator and champion for the new Queen's University digital calendar project which launched the new academic calendar in May 2021, including for the first time, publication of course learning outcomes, an integrated curriculum revision management system in May 2022, and an information-rich, mobile-first, student user interface for course registration in February 2026. Another major initiative that blossomed under her leadership was the Modular Degree Framework--a curriculum streamlining project aimed at program sustainability in the face of faculty attrition. The Framework, comprising changes to over 100 degree plans, and supported by changes to Faculty policies and procedures, required a high degree of pan-Faculty integration and collaboration. Other major projects focused on revisions to academic consideration and accommodations protocols, the modification of admissions pathways, and the temporary suspension of admissions to academic programs.

Jenn is the author of three books: Insecurity: Perils and Products of Theatres of the Real (U of Toronto Press, 2019); Performing Autobiography: Contemporary Canadian Drama (U of Toronto Press, 2013, recipient of the Ann Saddlemeyer Award from Canadian Association for Theatre Research), and PLAY: Dramaturgies of Participation (Playwrights Canada Press, 2024) co-authored with Mariah Horner. Her current research interests concern the politics and aesthetics of engagement by audiences in participatory performance-game hybrids.

Jenn is an award-winning instructor, having received the Drama departmental teaching award four times. She served as Undergraduate Chair from 2010 to 2018. Jenn has a passion for curriculum and especially for the power of learning outcomes. In support of curriculum innovation, she served, first as a member, and later as chair of the Faculty of Arts and Science Curriculum Committee. Jenn also served three years as a member of Council of Ontario Universities Quality Council.