Education professor awarded Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal
Dr. David Philpott, Faculty of Education, has been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his outstanding contribution to vulnerable children and families.
The commemorative medal, created to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accesion to the throne as Queen of Canada, is a tangible way for Canada to honour significant contributions by Canadians. Sixty thousand deserving Canadians will be recognized.
Dr. Philpott continues a 30-year career in education and community activism as a tireless advocate for vulnerable children and their families. Ranging from involvement in the closure of Exon House, the province’s last residential facility for children with disabilities, in the mid 1980s to recent pan-Canadian research projects, he has been at the forefront of informing societal approaches to supporting families with exceptional children.
His research has informed provincial and territorial models of special services, including Nunavut’s approach to inclusive education and Newfoundland’s recent review of support services. He led the project that resulted in self-management of education for the Innu and their bi-cultural model of education.
He joined Memorial's Faculty of Education in 2000 following a 15-year career in the public education system. He has worked in a wide range of teaching and management positions in special education, including private consulting/counselling and educational assessment, and was promoted to full professor at Memorial University in 2011. He also maintains adjunct professor status with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary where he teaches on child-centered, family focused support planning.
His latest work with vulnerable students has led to his involvement in Memorial University’s Teaching and Learning Framework by co-chairing the research and development team for a new First Year Success Program for academically at-risk students.
