Gavan Watson, PhD

Two boys cheer enthusiastically in front of a television showing an instant replay of a dragon boat race. The TV displays multiple dragon boats nearing the finish line, marked by coloured buoys. The boys stand in front of a modern fireplace, visibly excited as they support their mom’s team from home

Cheering on the Kingston Chestmates Dragon Boat Team today, competing this weekend in Vancouver, all the way from the waters of Lake Ontario! #ConcordPacificDragonBoatFestival #DragonBoatBC

Brian Frank | Engineers Canada Brian Frank spends a lot of time and energy improving engineering education, whether it’s in the classroom through innovative teaching and learning approaches or by supporting professional development...

Proud teaching and learning moment at #QueensU: Dr. Brian Frank of Smith Engineering has been awarded Engineers Canada’s 2025 Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education! engineerscanada.ca/awards2025/b... #EngineeringEducation #SmithEngineering

Have been quite happy with @www.reclaimhosting.com (www.reclaimhosting.com)

More about this #QueensU recruitment initiative for doctoral students who are reconsidering studying at a top US institution: www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...

Excited to be offering some welcoming remarks at the annual Showcase of Teaching and Learning. This 15th annual event is the official kickoff to #QueensU Teaching and Learning month!

Special thanks to those presenting and to the CTL staff who organized this event.

Congratulations to this year's cohort of ten 3M National Teaching Fellows!

The 3MNTF has been described as the "superbowl" (don't ask how the metaphor works) of teaching awards here in Canada.
www.stlhe.ca/award_winner...

Close-up of cherry blossoms in full bloom, with clusters of pale pink and white flowers covering the branches. A few green leaves are visible, and the background shows a concrete building partially obscured by the dense blossoms.

Cherry trees in flower on the #QueensU campus

Chimney Swifts have returned to Kingston—first day I’m hearing their chortling calls overhead.

Screenshot from 5k app, showing the completion of an outdoor run. A “5k” logo appears at the top. The stats read: Active Calories – 367 CAL, Distance – 6.01 KM.

I was a regular runner until 2017, then injured my ankle and stopped. Eight weeks ago, I started again with the goal of running 5km comfortably. Today, I finished the program and met my goal. Ran 6km.

The next goal: stay injury-free and keep it going—5km, three times a week will make me happy!

A cluster of delicate purple Hepatica wildflowers in bloom, nestled among dry leaves and forest floor vegetation. The flowers have rounded petals and white stamens, and are surrounded by fuzzy stems and lobed green leaves.

From today: a cluster of hepatica / liverwort in full bloom.

A white man wearing a red Queen’s University cap, light blue shirt, and black backpack takes a selfie on a forest trail in Frontenac Provincial Park. The background features early spring trees with fresh green growth and a winding dirt path.

Grateful to have taken a day for myself today, spending the morning in the glory of spring ephemerals and returning migrants (23 birds species) at Frontenac Provincial Park.

ebird.org/checklist/S2...

A group of students kneels along the edge of a clear, shallow lake under a blue sky, closely observing the water. They are gathered near a dock and shaded by tall pine trees, participating in an outdoor learning activity. A dog is seen swimming in the lake nearby.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining teacher candidates from our Faculty of Education at Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre for the final class of their Environmental Education course.

Excited to see how they’ll integrate what they’ve learned into their future classroom practice!

Val Plumwood would like a word…

(Environmental philosopher Plumwood wrote the essay *Being Prey* that argues the embodiment of humans not as separate, but as part of the more-than-human world, subject to its dangers)

A close-up of a bright yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) blooming on the forest floor, surrounded by green mottled leaves and fallen logs in early spring sunlight.

A single white Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) flower with bright yellow stamens, standing among dry leaves and twigs in a woodland area, its large, veined leaf partially wrapping the stem.

Trout Lilly and Bloodroot in flower; went looking for flowers yesterday without luck. That’s changed today! #SpringEphemerals

Not yet…this year

Local park dripping with White-throated Sparrows this afternoon. Some giving short versions of their “sweet Canada” song

Today's idle thought in #HigerEd: Fostering transparency, trust and literacy around a University's budget (not just balancing it) may be one of the most under-valued aspects of being a Provost?

Best I've seen have taken the approach of an educator and looked to "teach" the University community.

Tariffs Are Unravelling the Lifeline Between Yukon and Alaska | The Walrus For one Northern community, the cost of friendship with Trump's America is too high

Over many years, I had the opportunity to visit Whitehorse, Skagway, Haines Junction and Haines. As this article suggests, the connection between these Alaskan and Yukon communities can't be understated. thewalrus.ca/tariffs-are-...

Maybe one of the good things that comes with a cool spring is that the Bloodroot blooms will hold on a bit longer…

Ford government boosts STEM education funding by $750M Colleges and universities will receive a $750 million boost from the Ontario government for 20,500 spaces in science and engineering programs each year, helping fill — but not close —

"At least one Ontario university has already told professors it expects to move hundreds of spaces in arts programs to STEM as a result of the announcement."

Anybody in #onPSE have the scoop on which university this was?

www.thestar.com/politics/pro...

FOY Yellow-rumped Warbler, heard calling near Lake Ontario.

Erratum: *Took* the quick trip…

A large green cargo ship, the M/V Ragna, moves through a grey, mist-covered body of water under a heavily overcast sky. To the left in the distance, a small island is visible, covered with sparse, leafless or dead trees, creating a stark silhouette against the low-lying mist.

Cold water and warm air made for a misty scene on the St. Lawrence this afternoon—the view from the Brockville waterfront.

Tool the quick trip downstream from Kingston to pick up a maple sap bucket, lid and spile for youngest’s school project.

19°C and flying insects are out (like midges).

In my local park, two Ruby-crowned Kinglets are busy fly catching from the reaches of a soft maple. Quiet enough to hear their beaks snapping together as they catch their prey.

Bird highlights from the last 24 hours: #FOY Osprey, Tree Swallow and White-throated Sparrow.

Hope that between sunrises on Signal Hill, what sounds like a promising iceberg season and the end of term, things are good with you and your family!

Miss this!

A yellow Elections Canada sign indicating the location of an advance polling station. The sign reads “Advance Poll – Lineup Starts Here” in both printed and handwritten text, and “Bureau de vote par anticipation” in French. The sign is displayed on a tripod stand in a public indoor space.

Advance voting start today, and there’s already a line up at this Kingston and the Islands poll.

Whether it’s today or April 28, get out and vote!

#ItsOurVote #CdnPoli #Elxn45 #Elections101 #DemocracyChampions #VotingMatters #ReadyToVote

News of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) advising against "non-essential" US travel is being quickly amplified across my feed…

Students Found Out AI Will Help Read Their Names at Commencement. Protest Ensued. The University of North Georgia is the latest to turn to AI tech during graduation. Sources say students’ reactions offer a critical takeaway.

Fascinating little case study how the planned use of AI at convocation (theoretically to correctly pronounce names) gets significant blow back because of the dehumanizing nature of what should be human celebration. #HigherEd