Dr. Anna M. Kindler is a Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, UBC Vancouver.
After serving two terms as UBC Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President Academic, Dr. Kindler took on a new role in the Faculty of Education as Senior Advisor International. In this capacity, she is responsible for strategic planning and oversight of academic international engagement, including collaborative programs; international faculty professional development and academic leadership development programs and other international initiatives and exchanges.
Dr. Kindler received an MA in Industrial/Graphic Design from the Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland, followed by a second MA and a doctorate in Art Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She joined the University of British Columbia in 1990. From 2001-2004 she took a leave of absence from UBC to serve as Dean of the School of Creative Arts, Sciences and Technology at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Throughout her 10-year tenure as Vice-Provost and AVP Academic, Dr. Kindler was responsible for a large and diverse portfolio, including oversight of offices and initiatives related to teaching and learning, Aboriginal strategy and international academic programs. She played a key role in initiating the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative and the creation of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology through the merger and restructuring of related units. Dr. Kindler led the University’s pioneering effort to establish the Educational Leadership tenure track and was instrumental in developing and negotiating related policies and implementation framework. She provided oversight of the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund and led efforts to develop UBC Student Evaluations of Teaching Policy and guidelines for Peer Review of Teaching. Her contributions have also helped UBC advance equity in faculty salaries and CRC nominations and supported the development of UBC’s first Aboriginal Strategic Plan and the University’s engagement with the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She provided guidance to the UBC International Student Initiative and direct oversight of several strategic international partnerships. She was actively involved in the establishment of the UBC Academic Leadership Development Program that prepares and supports academic leaders in their roles. Her service to the University has also included work on the UBC Senate, most recently as an elected Joint Faculties senator. Dr. Kindler has drawn on these experiences in providing advice to governments and universities in Canada and abroad. Examples of her related engagements include consultancies to the British Columbia and Hong Kong governments on matters of curriculum reform and quality assurance and to the design and implementation of international leadership development programs.
Dr. Kindler has gained international recognition for her research on artistic development, social cognition of art, museum education, multiculturalism and cross-cultural research, and has published widely in these areas. Her work in teacher education has focused on case-based learning and creativity in the classroom. She has been a member of editorial boards and review panels of major international journals and research granting agencies and served two terms as Vice President of the Canadian Society for Education through Art. She is also a practicing artist exploring the medium of photography and has exhibited her work in North America, Europe and Asia. Dr. Kindler’s contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Lowenfeld Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art Education; the International Ziegfeld Award for outstanding and internationally recognized contribution to art education through achievement in scholarly writing and research; and, the University of Illinois School of Art and Design Distinguished Alumni Award.
