Shea Mellow (BFA - Art/BEd '00, MEd '22) Educational Developer, Teaching Centre

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in Saskatchewan and came to Lethbridge based on its wonderful reputation for the education undergrad program. I met my future husband here and we now live and work in the area, raising two teenage children, one of whom is a student at ULethbridge currently. As a family, we have enjoyed travelling and making memories with friends and family. I loved my career as a teacher in the K – 12 system, teaching mostly Art and Language Arts to all levels for many years. My career in public education included time in a division office as an instructional coach, where I was lucky to connect with dozens of incredible educators. After that, I learned an enormous amount as a school principal before my move to the University.

I was always fond of time on campus and was drawn to engaging with higher education in some capacity at some point in my career. I’m not getting any younger so when an opportunity arose, I was eager to jump!

How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
I started in my new role at the end of January 2024. Working with the amazing team at the Teaching Centre, I am embracing a new learning curve and exploring communities of practice with academic staff across all faculties. Because teaching and learning are complex and constantly evolving, the Teaching Centre’s initiatives are appropriately responsive. I am excited to be part of the momentum of new initiatives and to support the solid practices already in place.

I am most excited about celebrating the amazing teaching that occurs across campus and highlighting how impactful these educators are.

What's the best part of your job?
The people in the Teaching Centre and the academic staff who have warmly welcomed me are the best part of my job. It is energizing to learn and work alongside such inspirational and like-minded people who sincerely hold a vision for continuous improvement and who believe in the impact of teaching excellence. Having daily conversations with people who recognize that students are central to what we do and why we are here makes the job meaningful and fulfilling. (It doesn’t hurt that bathroom breaks are at your leisure — a stark difference from the K – 12 education system!)

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I love to travel with my family and friends. I find planning for the travel almost as fun as the experience itself. I have just returned from a two-week trek to Portugal where my best friend and I (Michelle Campmans, who currently represents ULethbridge alumni on our Senate) walked the Camino. I am hoping that with this new role and shift in life, I can return to adding fine arts back into my weekly activity, through the means of pottery, painting, drawing and stained glass.

My favourite times include listening to my son play guitar, having a coffee date with my daughter, or date nights (in or out) with my husband.