Karen Ugarte-Bravo, Assistant Professor of Economics, is the University of Toronto Students’ Union Educator of the Year, 2025.
“Professor Karen Ugarte has been selected as a recipient of the UTSU Educator of the Year Award for her outstanding dedication to student learning and her engaging, inclusive teaching style,” said Melani Veveçka, President of UTSU. “Praised for her ability to make complex concepts in economics and statistics clear, practical, and easy to grasp, Professor Karen Ugarte combines academic rigor with approachability and care. Students highlighted her passion, precision, and creativity in the classroom, as well as her exceptional support beyond it-offering extended office hours, personalized guidance, and mentorship.”
Each year UTSU makes the award to three outstanding instructors who have gone above and beyond to inspire, motivate and support students. Winners are selected from student nominations.
“I’m truly honoured and thrilled to receive the Educator of the Year award,” said Ugarte-Bravo. “The fact that this recognition comes from student nominations makes it especially meaningful to me. I put a great deal of thought into creating a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive, so knowing that students feel positively impacted by my teaching is incredibly rewarding. This award reaffirms my belief that students genuinely appreciate being challenged—so long as they feel supported and are guided with empathy and kindness. Thank you to my students—getting to know you and being a part of your learning journey is truly the best part of my job.”
Ugarte-Bravo is a teaching stream member of faculty who specializes in econometrics, health economics, and program/policy evaluation. She currently teaches the undergraduate courses ECO369, Health Economics and ECO220, Introduction to Data Analysis and Applied Econometrics.
“It is especially exciting to congratulate Assistant Professor Karen Ugarte on becoming UTSU Educator of the Year because students themselves choose the award,” said Professor Ettore Damiano, Chair of the Department of Economics. “This is no small feat. Undergraduates are exacting juries, and they judge the quality of teaching every day. On behalf of the department, I congratulate Karen and wish her continued success.”
Return to the Department of Economics website.
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