Erica Di Ruggiero (supplied image)
Erica Di Ruggiero recognized with 2026 Global Educator Award
Published: March 27, 2026
Erica Di Ruggiero, an associate professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, has been recognized with the 2026 Global Educator Award.
The annual award is given to faculty members who advance U of T’s global mission by fostering inclusive classrooms and preparing students with cross-cultural communication skills.
Di Ruggiero was recognized for her use of pedagogical approaches that engage students’ lived experiences, encourage critical reflection and connect local and global health contexts. She led the development of the doctor of public health program – the first of its kind in Canada, designed to serve a diverse and international student body – and co-leads the “Global Health Policy” graduate course.
“I take my role as an educator of future leaders very seriously," said Di Ruggiero. “Maintaining a learning environment that welcomes students of diverse cultures and perspectives is important because they will be making the public health decisions for tomorrow, and those choices will have global outcomes on health and equity.”
“Erica has demonstrated an impressive range of global engagement and intercultural excellence in her pedagogy,” says Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Students Mariana Mota Prado. “The strength of her program leadership, her ability to build institutional and international spaces for global learning, and her demonstrated mentorship and impact truly exemplify what it means to be a global educator at U of T.”
