MERIT Annual Report 2024

As we approach 2025, it’s remarkable how quickly this year has passed. I often think that time seems to move faster as we get older—a year, a month, or even a day becomes a smaller fraction of the time we’ve experienced. Regardless of what this may imply about my age, this year has gone by fast for MERIT.

In this annual report, we celebrate and showcase the achievements of our community, especially our recognition as an official research centre within McMaster University. Being the first education research centre at the university brings unique opportunities through institutional support and a responsibility to address the evolving needs of our schools, departments, faculty, and the university at large.

Our collaboration with visiting professor Cheryl Poth from the University of Alberta has strengthened our mixed methods research methodologies, leading to several MERIT publications on the topic and the upcoming launch of a Mixed Methods Research (MMR) workshop, interest groups, and a 2025 conference.

Our fellowship program continues to thrive as well, welcoming Desi Reddy and Allison Sohanlal from the Departments of Anesthesia and Pediatrics, respectively.

In this report, you’ll find highlights of our work, including our collaborations (e.g., Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine), acknowledgements of our scientists, and our events to engage the MERIT community in the complex questions around teaching, learning, selection, and assessment.

As I reflect on this past year, I remain deeply grateful for this vibrant community and excited about the opportunities ahead for our Centre. On behalf of MERIT, we look forward to seeing you in our conversations, projects, and events in 2025.

– Jonathan Sherbino