U Make a Difference Award

Dr. Paula Berton is a research associate in the Office of VP Research. She was nominated in the Innovation and Curiosity category.

Paula is committed to innovation bringing it to all projects and tasks she is involved in. She consistently seeks out opportunities to share her knowledge and passions, making a real impact on students and staff across the university.

Thank you, Paula!

Dr. Aubrey Hanson is an Associate Professor in the Werklund School of Education. She was nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

Aubrey is always willing to collaborate with other instructors on course transition, share her expertise, and facilitate a discussion. Her consistent efforts have an encouraging effect upon all members of the instruction team and are translated into rich experience for students.

Thank you, Aubrey!

Dr. Iris Kathol is the clinical research coordinator in the department of Clinical Neurosciences in the Cumming School of Medicine. She was nominated in the Positive Work Environment and Community category.

Iris tries to ensure the well-being of her colleagues, trainees, study participants, and patients. She plays a key role in coaching new hires and welcoming research participants making their study visits enjoyable.

Thank you, Iris!

Laurie McDonald is the academic coordinator in the Werklund School of Education. She was nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

Laurie is observant in identifying areas that require additional help or streamlining. She is also creative in improving various processes and procedures and  is always willing to share her experience and expertise with new colleagues making their transition into a new workplace smooth and enjoyable.

Thank you, Laurie!

John McDougall is the senior business operations administrator in the Faculty of Arts. He was nominated in the Innovation and Curiosity category.

John’s calm demeanour helps solve problems and effectively communicate with the teams across the faculty.  A knowledgeable and innovative team member, he always knows the best and the most effective approach to various processes and tasks.

Thank you, John!

Stacy McGuire is a communication specialist in the Communication and Marketing Department in the Faculty of Kinesiology. She was nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

Stacy embodies integrity, commitment, and perseverance in her everyday work. Being exceptionally organized and initiative, she is an epitome team player, who enjoys working collaboratively and always pursues high quality work.

Thank you, Stacy!

Kathy Saville is the Clinic Manager for the Sport Medicine Centre in the Faculty of Kinesiology. She was nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

Kathy excels in exercising supportive leadership style in both routine and difficult situations. She engages staff to see every challenge as an opportunity and communicates effectively with a high number of stakeholders across the university. 

Thank you, Kathy!

Chemistry Instructors Team (Dr. Ian Hunt, Dr. Yuen-Ying Carpenter, and Dr. Amanda Musgrove).

They were nominated in the Positive Work Environment and Community category.

The unprecedented and rapid transfer to online teaching did not catch this team on the spot – they stepped up providing valuable information and support and creating the space for their colleagues’ well-being through various online approaches.

Thank you, team!

Continuing Professional Development COVID CPD Team (Dr. Michelle Bailey, Dr. Heather Armson, Dr. David Topps, Dr. Katrina Nicholson, Dr. Douglas Woodhouse, Dr. Selena Au, Dr. Shawn Dowling, Dr. Jackie Thurston, Alanna Wall, Brenda Pederson, Caitlin Ryan, Dana Young, Diane Simpson, Geraldine Tanis, Kennedy French-Toller, Sampson Law, Kiyana Madani, Melanie Planinsic, Monica Rast, Niamh Lyons, Rosario Villalobos, Rosanna Saavedra, Shannon Stucky, Sheila Sun, Susan Limongiello, Aaron Peterson, Ashi Mehta, Ashleigh Metcs, Brenna Murray, Maria Restrepo, Diane Duncan, Emily-Ann Butler, Nathan Solbak, Chloe Burnett).

They were nominated in the Innovation and Curiosity category.

Working collaboratively, these two teams pivoted their collective resources and used their creativity and innovation to support the unprecedented challenges facing our healthcare workforce to develop an ongoing “COVID Corner” webinar series, multiple COVID educational resources, and training courses. The team used an action-reflection cycle to plan, act, observe, and reflect on continuous improvement and implementation.

Thank you, team!

Faculty of Science Environment Health and Safety Team (Molly Chisholm and Dr. Ed Cey).

They were nominated in the Innovation and Curiosity category.

Understanding how the online environment posed barriers for students in immersing themselves with the teaching material and their projects, the Team provided very detailed and helpful comments to support to the students.

Thank you, team!

School of Creative and Performing Arts Technical Team (Andrew North, David Fraser, Abir Bachir, Celina Baharally, Luke Dahlgren, Robert Laflamme, Trevor McDonald, Jason Schwarz, and Gillian Webster).

They were nominated in the Positive Work Environment and Community category.

Tirelessly working on the preparation and management of various safety plans and measures, the team worked to offer in-person classes, that is inherently necessary and important for the teaching of dance, drama and music.

Thank you, team!

Office of VP Research Communication Team (Melanie McDonald, Pamela Hyde, and Alina Cox).

They were nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

Operating with an ethos of collaboration and seeking opportunities to raise up their colleagues to help them shine, the team stepped up to make a positive difference for the research community as the university navigated the pandemic response.

Thank you, team!

Taylor Family Digital Library Learning Commons Team (Carla Lewis, Kim Groome, Robin Lee, Sylvia Polachuk, Mark Smith, Lisi Wang, and Jayne Taylor-Gracher).

They were nominated in the Collaboration and Communication category.

The team have demonstrated exceptional initiative, perseverance, and commitment in providing transformational support for university students and faculty through the Library’s Virtual Chat Service, contributing to the evolution of the Digital Library and its services.

Thank you, team!