TVO announces record-breaking number of nominees in the Big Ideas 2010 Best
Lecturer Competition!

TORONTO , Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Let the games begin! TVO has scored a record-breaking number of nominations for the 2010 Best Lecturer Competition.

Sponsored by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, the Best Lecturer Competition is quickly becoming a favourite annual event for universities and colleges, lecturers and students across Ontario.

At the close of the October 12 nomination period, TVO received more than 970 nomination submissions for 692 professors from 37 post-secondary schools including Brock University, Carleton University, Centennial College, Durham College, Ryerson University, Seneca College, Sheridan College , Lakehead University, Nipissing University, Trent University, York University, University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Toronto .

Of the 692 nominated professors, 332 have accepted the nomination. Submissions included a wide variety of topics including psychology, law, philosophy, criminal justice, English, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, nursing, biology, religion, geography and environmental sciences. For a full list of the nominated lecturers please visit tvo.org/bigideas.

The top 10 lectures will air exclusively on Big Ideas beginning March 6 2010. At that time viewers and a panel of judges will vote for an overall winner. Big Ideas is TVO's popular television program offering lectures on a variety of thought-provoking topics that range across politics, culture, economics, art history and science. Now in its fifth year, the Best Lecturer Competition was created to recognize the best and brightest lecturers at Ontario's colleges and universities, it invites students and alumni to nominate professors whose love of learning has helped to stimulate imaginations, open eyes and push boundaries in institutions of higher learning across the province.

Big Ideas producer Wodek Szemberg says "The Best Lecturer Competition focuses on capturing on camera the art of the lecture. In doing so, we bring to our audience professors who excel at offering their students a blend of knowledge, clarity, stimulation and perhaps a bit of wisdom as well. We want students and those who never stopped learning to participate again in helping us choose the best one of the 10 finalists."

Last year, professor Rod Carley from Canadore College in North Bay beat out nine university lecturers in the final round of competition - the first time a college lecturer captured the title. To keep the competitive spirit between university and college campuses alive, TVO offers not only bragging rights and much deserved recognition for the winner, but also presents the winning school with a $10,000 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex scholarship. Could a college once again take the title and the scholarship in this year's competition?

"A great lecturer can inspire and motivate an entire generation of future leaders to act," says Paul Douglas , Vice President, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex. "TD Insurance Meloche Monnex is proud of its commitment to education and is happy to sponsor the Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition - which recognizes the impact great lecturers have on the fabric of our society."

On December 7 the 20 semifinalists will be announced. Next, a panel of judges will choose 10 finalists, who will be invited to deliver complete lectures on Big Ideas beginning March 6 2010. Viewers will then be invited to grade each of the finalists and cast their vote for Ontario's 2010 Best Lecturer. Voting begins on March 6 2010 and closes on Sunday April 11 2010 . The winner will be announced on Saturday April 17 2010 .

For more information on the Best Lecturer Series go to tvo.org/bigideas.

About TD Insurance Meloche Monnex

TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, the group insurance brand of TD Insurance, works with over 700 professional, alumni and employer groups across the country to provide home and auto insurance programs. In business for 60 years, more than 600,000 clients trust TD Insurance Meloche Monnex with their insurance needs. TD Insurance, through its TD Insurance Meloche Monnex and TD Insurance Home and Auto sub-brands, is the largest direct-response insurance group in Canada . For more information on professional and alumni group programs visit melochemonnex.com; for information on employer group programs visit group.tdinsurance.com.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Shaw Direct channel 353.

For further information: Media contact: Lesley Horlick, TVO, Communications, [phone] x 2281, [email protected]