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Jun 23rd, 2005
Celebrating the best of Western

   


Six of the Graduate Student Teaching Awards recipients who attended the 2005 awards ceremony are: (front row, left to right) Rachel Hirsch, Geography; Sean Bilmer, English; Ana-Irina Mutiu, Biochemistry; Sarah Vajdik, History; Tim Hain, Biology; Faheem Ahmed, Electrical and Computer Engineering. (Back Row): Martin Kreiswirth, Dean of Graduate Studies; Graydon Raymer, Vice-President Academic, SOGS; Shawn Whitehead, President, GTA Union; Alan Weedon, Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning and Faculty).

Western engineering professor Slobodan Simonovic receives the Camille A. Dagenais Award from Cathy Lynn Borbely, President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering at a ceremony in Toronto.
Hospitality Services at Western have been honoured nationally and locally for outstanding staff and quality of service.

Danica Sliskovic and her team from Between Appointments in Medical Sciences have been honoured with the “Friend of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry” award. The award was presented at the Dean’s Awards of Excellence dinner on May 17 in the Great Hall.

The Canadian College and University Food Service Association (CCUFSA) recently recognized Andrew Linton, Unit Chef – Residence Dining, with the Culinary Development Grant, valued at over $1,500. In June, Linton will attend the annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference, an international, week-long event hosted by the University of Massachusetts.

The efforts of the Great Hall Catering team were also recognized by CCUFSA for demonstrating outstanding dining, hospitality service and teamwork in reaching major accomplishments. The CCUFSA Shine Award will be presented at the annual conference in Halifax this year.

Jacqueline Dieleman-Hassall, Operations and System Development Manager – Residence Dining, was honoured as Foodservice Professional of the Year, presented by the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP) in March. The presentation was in recognition of her contribution to the foodservice and hospitality industry, as well as for her service within CAFP.

A President’s Occupational Health & Safety award was presented to Janet Smith in recognition of her work with the Hospitality Services Health & Safety team. New initiatives introduced this year, included slide show presentations to help develop an awareness campaign to ensure safe working conditions for all staff.

John Neil from the Thompson Recreation & Athletics Centre (TRAC), also received the President’s Occupational Health & Safety award as a member of the University’s HAZMAT team. His area of expertise is in the safe use of ammonia in the operation of TRAC.

* * *
Mentor of women honoured

A mentor of young women, Western’s Richard Ivey School of Business graduate Sylvia Chrominska (HBA ’75) received the 2005 Toronto YWCA Women of Distinction Award (Corporate Leadership) May 31 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Chrominska is recognized for having broken new ground for women in the banking industry. Her career growth has featured progressively senior positions at Scotiabank, positions previously held exclusively by men.

The first female Executive Vice President of Scotiabank, Chrominska is Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Public, Corporate and Government Affairs. She has global responsibility for human resources, corporate communications, government relations, public policy and corporate social responsibility of the Scotiabank Group.

Recognized in 2003 and 2004 as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network and the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business, Chrominska has established formal and informal leadership development programs for women at Scotiabank.

* * *
Huron Professor made Canon
Huron University College’s Doug Leighton has been honoured by the Diocesan Bishop at the Synod of the Diocese of Huron with the title of Canon of the Cathedral Chapter.

Leighton, a history professor, is a much-loved and faithful priest who has cared for many parishes during interim periods between priests, and he is a sought-after speaker when the church is trying to understand its own history and its relationship with Aboriginal Christians.

The College is now distinguished by having three of its members appointed as Canons within the Diocese of Huron – the Rev. Canon Douglas Leighton, Professor of History, The Rev. Canon William Cliff, Chaplain and the Rev. Canon John Chapman, Dean of Theology.

Leighton is also a nominee for the TVO BrainCandy Award for best lecturer. Leighton teaches three courses at Huron: Canada: Origins to Present; Amerindian-White Relations in Canada; and his very popular course, The Automobile and Modern Culture.

* * *
Civil engineers honour Simonovic


The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering recently honoured Western engineering professor Slobodan Simonovic for career achievement.

Simonovic received the Camille A. Dagenais Award in Toronto. The award was
established in 1981 in honour of Camille A. Dagenais, Past Chairman of the Board of SNC Group Inc., President of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in 1972-1973, and one of the most renowned hydrotechnical engineers in the country.

The objective of the award is to give recognition to civil engineers who make outstanding contributions to hydrotechnical engineering in Canada.

Simonovic is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Research Chair for the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at Western.

He has done extensive research on the application of system approach to, and development of the decision support tools, for management of complex water and environmental systems.

The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering fosters professional knowledge in the field of civil engineering. Supportive of the work of academics and private institutions and different organizations that deal with civil engineering since 1887 and working with sister organizations, the CSCE also promotes civil engineering among the general public and governmental institutions in Canada and abroad.


Top grad student teachers recognized

Six of the Graduate Student Teaching Awards recipients who attended the 2005 awards ceremony are: (front row, left to right) Rachel Hirsch, Geography; Sean Bilmer, English; Ana-Irina Mutiu, Biochemistry; Sarah Vajdik, History; Tim Hain, Biology; Faheem Ahmed, Electrical and Computer Engineering. (Back Row): Martin Kreiswirth, Dean of Graduate Studies; Graydon Raymer, Vice-President Academic, SOGS; Shawn Whitehead, President, GTA Union; Alan Weedon, Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning and Faculty).


Sixteen of Western’s Graduate Teaching Assistants have been selected as the cream of the crop for 2005.

Western chose the best graduate student teachers from more than 400 nominees. There are about 1,000 GTAs at Western.

“Graduate student teachers are vital to Western’s mission,” said Alan Weedon, Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning and Faculty). “They are among our most exciting and stimulating teachers and they are engaged in developing techniques in the classroom and laboratory which will enhance their own careers as scholars and teachers.”

Dean of Graduate Studies Martin Kreiswirth congratulated the GTAs on their efforts to benefit Western undergraduate students and by serving as role models.

“You are also helping our graduate student recruitment through your teaching roles,” said Kreiswirth.

Graydon Raymer, Vice-President (Academic) for the Society of Graduate Students, says the number of nominations more than doubled from the 150 last year, a strong indication of overall excellence.

Shawn Whitehead, President of the GTA Union, commended the graduate student teachers for “having a vital impact on the education of students at Western.”

The awards consist of a certificate and cash prize. The 16 recipients are:

· Faheem Ahmed – Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

· Matthew Austin – Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism

. Sean Bilmer – Department of English

· Michael Broczkowski – Department of Chemistry

· Sara-Anne Churchill – Don Wright Faculty of Music

· Dylan Cyr – Department of History

· Lyndsay Fitzgeorge – School of Kinesiology

· Yijun Gao – Faculty of Information and Media Studies

· Timothy Hain – Department of Biology

· Robert Hall – Department of History

· Rachel Hirsch – Department of Geography

· Ana-Irina Mutiu – Department of Biochemistry

· Geoff Stewart – Department of History

· Jason Teixeira – Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering

· Tomislav Terzin – Department of Biology

· Sarah Vajdik – Department of History

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