Faculty and staff who’ve helped Brock’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMS) to thrive were honoured for their contributions on Wednesday, May 18.

The eighth-annual Celebration of Excellence — the Faculty’s first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began — saw a variety of awards presented to mark outstanding efforts in teaching, research and student engagement, among others. Each award invited nominations from colleagues who wished to see remarkable work recognized.

FMS Dean Ejaz Ahmed and members of senior administration offered their congratulations at the event and spoke to the Faculty’s contributions to the wider Brock community.

“The Faculty draws on the skill and dedication of five pillars — our students, colleagues, staff, administration and our community,” Ahmed said. “When we greet each challenge together with support and respect, great things happen.”

Two new honours were introduced this year: the Friends of Science Award, which recognizes a community member’s contributions in support of scientific endeavours that impact the Faculty and wider Brock community, and the FMS HERO Certificate, which recognizes extraordinary dedication and effort toward a challenging and time-consuming cause for the betterment of the Faculty, its staff and students.

In addition to receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, FMS Associate Dean Shyamal Bose was honoured as the first FMS Hero Certificate recipient.

Bose was recognized for going above and beyond his normal duties to assist students struggling with the challenges of the pandemic, working tirelessly — at times over holidays — to ensure FMS students were thoroughly supported.

Raziel Zisman, Partner and Leader, Sustainable Governance Initiative at Whittle Consulting, was the inaugural recipient of the Friends of Science Award.

This year’s award winners include:

• FMS Excellence in Teaching — Costa Metallinos, Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Distinguished Research — Chantal Buteau, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
• Dean’s Distinguished Scholar — Georgii Nikonov, Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Student Experience, Recruitment and Outreach – Staff — Justin Steepe, Strategic, Outreach and Events Specialist, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Dean’s Office
• Distinguished Staff — Alison Smart, Science Stores Assistant, Science Store
• Distinguished Staff — Elena Genkin, Graduate and Administrative Specialist, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Dean’s Office
• Lifetime Achievement – Faculty — Shyamal Bose, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
• Lifetime Achievement – Staff — Elizabeth Horvath, Administrative Assistant, Department of Physics (Retired)
• Lifetime Achievement – Staff — Gary McDonnell, Assistant Supervisor, Electronics – Technical Services
• Excellence in Teaching and Student Engagement Award — Amanda Lepp, Senior Laboratory Demonstrator, Department of Biological Sciences
• Experiential Education Leadership Award — Poling Bork, Senior Lab Instructor/Coordinator/Mentor, Department of Computer Science
• Friends of Science Award — Raziel Zisman, Partner and Leader, Sustainable Governance Initiative at Whittle Consulting
• FMS HERO Certificate — Shyamal Bose, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Mathematics and Science