Articles tagged with: recognition

  • David Telfer and Sharon Janzen recognized for 25 years of service to the University

    The Department of Geography and Tourism Studies would like to congratulate Dr. David Telfer (Geography and Tourism Studies Professor) and Sharon Janzen (GeoTour alumna) on being recognized for their 25 years of service to Brock University!

    We are so grateful for their years of dedication, friendship, and invaluable contributions to our Department and the University. Our Department certainly would not be the same without them.

    President Lesley Rigg presents Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, with a gift in celebration of her induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    President Lesley Rigg presents David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies, with a gift in celebration of his induction into the Quarter Century Club.

    Exceptional employees, longstanding service honoured at Brock President’s Celebration

    The outstanding efforts of Brock University staff, faculty and librarians were recognized at a reception Tuesday, Dec. 13.

    Hundreds of employees gathered in Market Hall for the annual President’s Celebration, which featured the announcement of staff service award recipients and the celebration of employees who have reached 25- and 35-year milestones in their service to the University.

    Among the awards distributed by President Lesley Rigg was the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team that has made an outstanding contribution throughout the year, beyond what is normally expected.

    Brock Central was selected as the 2022 recipient, recognized for its high-quality customer service approach to offering student and alumni information in an accurate, timely and confidential manner, while adhering to high standards of excellence.

    In offering a few words to describe the team, Associate Vice-President of Human Resources Jennifer Guarasci said members of Brock Central “continually strive to enhance the customer service experience by demonstrating compassion, diplomacy, understanding and tact by actively listening and responding to the needs of our students.”

    Geraldine Jones, Registrar and Associate Vice-President Enrolment Services, said she feels privileged to work with a committed group of people who illustrate Brock’s values and mission.

    “They are a team of individuals who, on a daily basis in quiet and humble ways, make students’ lives better,” she said. “They are the epitome of a team because they support one another and the institution.”

    Along with the team award, individual staff service awards were announced during the online event, and employees celebrating 25- and 35-year service milestones were acknowledged for their commitment to the University.

    Rigg congratulated all service award winners and nominees, and remarked she was honoured to be celebrating with a spirited and hard-working employee community.

    “This campus has energy and enthusiasm, and it’s in large part due to the wonderful team working here and everything you do,” she said. “We are all extremely lucky to have each other to work with and to have such dedicated staff members.”

    Rigg also commented on how greatly the University benefits from the experience of longstanding staff members.

    “They are time travellers — the ones who make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes but also repeat those things that have been great,” she said. “They are our guidance, our mentors and the ones who pave the path for our future.”

    Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership 

    Kelly Lipovsky, Customer Service Co-ordinator with Facilities Management, is the 2022 recipient of the Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership. The award is presented to one staff member who has a proven record of leading and working collaboratively, engaging fellow employees, furthering the development of a respectful work and learning environment and culture, and building strong relationships and partnerships that enable the University to implement its strategic plan and related initiatives effectively. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award.

    Rigg said Lipovsky was recognized in part for her charismatic leadership qualities and ability to collaborate well with colleagues from across the University.

    “Her ability to connect with others and to help bring out the best in each person on her team is truly inspiring,” said Guarasci, when reading comments from nominators.

    President’s Distinguished Staff Service Awards for Outstanding Contributions 

    The President’s Distinguished Staff Service Award for Outstanding Contributions recognizes individual ongoing staff members who have demonstrated exemplary service or made a significant contribution to the working environment at Brock at a level significantly beyond normal expectations. Recipients receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 cash award. The 2022 recipients are:

    • Drew Cullen, Manager, District Energy, Asset Management and Utilities
      Cullen was recognized for his efforts in leading the conceptualization and development of sustainability challenges across the University to encourage the campus community to adopt everyday sustainable actions.
    • Rick Manning, Groundskeeper, Facilities Grounds Services
      Manning was recognized for his positive and welcoming attitude and his ongoing dedication to providing exceptional service, including taking on additional tasks to ensure the campus is accessible and safe, especially in winter months.
    • Debbie Ouellette, Administrative Co-ordinator and Graduate Advisor, Sociology
      Ouellette was recognized for her professional, steady and student-centred approach to her work as well as her respectful, kind and supportive interactions with colleagues and students.
    • Barbara Tatarnic, Manager, Continuing Education and Outreach, Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI)
      Tatarnic was recognized for her longstanding efforts in leading CCOVI’s community engagement, outreach, and professional and continuing studies, which has helped to position CCOVI as a world-class research and education institute in the grape and wine, beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.

    Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award 

    The Brock Central Team is the 2022 recipient of the Brock University Outstanding Team Service Award, which recognizes a team of faculty and/or staff members who have made an outstanding contribution throughout the year beyond what is normally expected. The recipient teams are awarded lunch with the President and a trophy engraved with the team name to be displayed until it is passed on to the following year’s recipient(s).

    Quarter Century Club  

    Ten employees were inducted into the Quarter Century Club, joining 277 others who have worked at Brock for 25 years:

    • Sheila Bennett, Professor, Educational Studies
    • Lilly Biamonte, Senior Business Systems Analyst, Enterprise Solutions
    • Marian Bredin, Professor, Communications, Popular Culture and Film
    • Anthony Bogaert, Professor, Health Sciences
    • Roman Cierny, Network Supervisor, IT Infrastructure
    • Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate/Geospatial Data Co-ordinator, Map, Data and GIS Library
    • Marie Reimer, Special Projects and Operations Co-ordinator, Ancillary Services
    • Caroline Romero, Administrative Assistant, Earth Sciences
    • Anamitra Shome, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • David Telfer, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies

    35 years of long-standing service  

    Seven people were recognized for 35 years of service at Brock:

    • Ian Adamson, Associate Professor, Accounting
    • Rick Currie, Electrician, Facilities Electrical
    • Robert Dimand, Professor, Economics
    • Dorothy Levay, Instructor/ Manager, Academic Support, Mathematics and Statistics
    • Rob Witte, Locksmith, Facilities Carpentry
    • Kimberley Pelchat, Manager, Instructional Resource Centre, Education
    • Edith Williams, Special Collections and Archives Assistant, Archives and Special Collections

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

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  • David Fennell makes global list of top scientists

    Nearly three dozen Brock University researchers appear on Stanford University’s recently updated list of the world’s top two per cent of scientists with the most citations.

    First created in 2019 by Stanford University health researcher John P. A. Ioannidis, the list rates scientists globally on metrics that measure the types and numbers of citations they have.

    Citations, which appear in academic papers, are references made to earlier research. The number of times a researcher’s work is referenced in other peer-reviewed work is one important indicator of their research impact and reputation.

    The latest update to this list includes a career-long database containing 195,605 researchers globally, or about two per cent of researchers worldwide. Though billed as a list of scientists, the ranking includes social sciences and humanities scholars.

    Thirty-five of these researchers are from Brock University.

    “This ranking shows the strong place that Brock researchers hold among the most influential and high-impact scholars worldwide,” says Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon. “It is a powerful illustration of the world-class inquiry happening at Brock every day, in every discipline.”

    The Brock University researchers who are among the top two per cent of scientists with the most citations are:

    • Stephen Anco, Professor, Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Michael Ashton, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Anthony Bogaert, Professor, Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
    • Uwe Brand, Professor, Earth Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Ian Brindle, Professor Emeritus, Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Katrina Brudzynski, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Stefan Brudzynski, Emeritus Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Stephen Cheung, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
    • Vincenzo DeLuca, Professor, Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Ivo Düntsch, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Bareket Falk, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
    • Thomas Farrell, Professor, Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Maurice Feldman, Professor, Applied Disabilities Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • David Fennell, Professor, Geography and Tourism Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Martin Head, Professor, Earth Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Gordon Hodson, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Herbert Holland, (late) Professor, Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Tomas Hudlicky (late) Professor, Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Princely Ifinedo, Professor, Information Systems, Goodman School of Business
    • Frans Koffyberg, Professor, Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Neil McCartney, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (no longer at Brock)
    • Cheryl McCormick, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Donald McCreary, Adjunct Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences (no longer at Brock)
    • Catherine Mondloch, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Georgii Nikonov, Professor, Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Gary Pickering, Professor, Biological Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Piers, Faculty of Mathematics and Science (no longer at Brock)
    • Ryan Plummer, Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Peter Rand, Emeritus, Biological Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Andrew Reynolds, Professor, Faculty of Mathematics and Science (no longer at Brock)
    • Kirill Samokhin, Professor, Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
    • Sidney Segalowitz, Professor Emeritus, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Martin Tammemägi, Professor Emeritus, Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
    • Peter Tiidus, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
    • Teena Willoughby, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences

    The Stanford-based list of top researchers uses a number of methods to create a single ranking, in spite of large differences in the customs and practices of citation across disciplines.

    Citation indices do not universally capture the impacts of all research types, Kenyon also notes, including work published in books rather than in journals.

    “No single type of measure tells the whole story of great research,” he says. “A great deal of excellent, high-impact research and creative inquiry leads directly to policies, community practices, live performances or works of art, rather than to other academic publications.”

    Brock’s representation in the Stanford University list has grown substantially from the original 2019 list.

    “This as a valuable sign of Brock’s continued development of research excellence and intensity across disciplines,” says Kenyon.

    STORY REPOSTED FROM THE BROCK NEWS

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  • Social Sciences faculty members recognized for outstanding contributions

    FROM THE BROCK NEWS | by 

    Associate Professor Hannah Dyer in the Department of Child and Youth Studies (CHYS) is the recipient of this year’s Faculty of Social Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching.

    Dyer, who also serves as the Graduate Program Director for CHYS, says that she felt “honoured and overwhelmed” not only to receive the award, but also to be nominated by her colleagues. She was recognized as part of Brock’s Virtual Spring Convocation on Friday, June 18.

    “I was also immensely grateful when I read the supporting letters that students wrote,” she says. “It reminded of the important ways they contribute to intellectual communities at Brock and truly, make it a wonderful place to teach.”

    Dyer is a critical theorist of childhood with a concentration in art/aesthetics, social conflict, queer theory and psychoanalysis. In 2020, she published The Queer Aesthetics of Childhood: Asymmetries of Innocence and the Cultural Politics of Child Development.

    She first came to Brock in 2017, having previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Carleton University. She says that she polished her classroom skills while teaching at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College as a PhD student.

    “The pairing of these two teaching positions — being an instructor at a college and at a research-intensive university — offered me the opportunity to create curricular offerings that welcome many students into conversations that may otherwise be alienating,” says Dyer.

    She was attracted to Brock because of the CHYS Department’s large size and transdisciplinary approach, as well as the then-newly created PhD program.

    To enhance transdisciplinary thinking for her students, Dyer works hard to include media and cultural production in her courses, using critical analysis of everything from political campaigns to art exhibits to explore social commentary and symbolism.

    “In showing students how to treat film, digital media, music and novels with as much value as other scholarly texts and textbooks, I aim to assist them in making meaning and theory from their everyday experiences and relationships,” says Dyer. “The residue of these lessons is felt months after the course has ended, as is evidenced by emails from students who have read a book or watched a show that has then reminded them of our course and its theoretical foundations.”

    Dyer believes that teaching is an “ethical and urgent task that can usher in new and more just worlds,” and says the experience of transitioning courses to online delivery at the onset of the global pandemic showed just how fluid both teachers and learners need to be.

    “It reminded me that I am a continuous learner myself in a world that is being reshaped by crisis, and in the altered terrains of education that come in its wake,” says Dyer. “My syllabi are often framed by questions I’d like the class to consider while we move through the semester, and they are meant to provoke thought rather than resolution — to remind both teacher and student of the social and political urgencies that drive our critique.”

    As such, Dyer treats her classroom as a “site of reciprocal care” and is diligent about meeting the needs of her students.

    “I am concerned with the care needed to foster a supportive environment for students who are otherwise marginalized, so my assignments and modes of assessment take seriously the needs of students whose communities and subjectivities have historically been mistreated by institutions of higher education,” says Dyer. “My courses are imagined as both events and processes, whereby learning happens for both student and teacher. The teacher is tasked with an ethical duty to demonstrate why learning new things matters for both the student and the teacher.”

    Earlier this year, the Faculty of Social Sciences also awarded its top honours for research, the Distinguished Researcher and Early Career Researcher of the Year.

    Professor Andrea Doucet of the Department of Sociology and the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies was named the Faculty of Social Sciences Distinguished Researcher for 2020. Doucet holds a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Gender, Work and Care and recently began work on a SSHRC Partnership Grant entitled Reimagining Care/Work Policies (2020-2027).

    The Faculty chose to name two Early Career Researchers of the Year for 2020: Assistant Professor Jessica Blythe of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC), the faculty lead on the Niagara Adapts Innovative Partnership, and Assistant Professor Julia Baird of the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies and the ESRC, who holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience.

    Ingrid Makus, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, says the Faculty’s award winners have all continued to do extraordinary work in spite of the circumstances of this extraordinary year.

    “At a time when we are collectively being moved to reimagine the society around us, these exceptional faculty members have redoubled their efforts to expand and share knowledge around urgent issues,” says Makus. “Hannah Dyer’s creative and conscientious approach to teaching and the significant research contributions of Andrea Doucet, Julia Baird and Jessica Blythe have a clear, positive impact on the world around us. Their ongoing work is a source of great pride for the Faculty, and it is our pleasure to recognize them for their achievements.”

    STORY FROM THE BROCK NEWS

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