Superior performance and outstanding accomplishments.
It’s what the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ (HSS) recognized recently at its annual A Fine Crowd event.
In the previous academic year, HSS faculty members earned more than a dozen awards and distinctions, published more than two dozen books and volumes, created podcasts, videos and theatrical presentations, and were awarded more than $6 million in grants and agreements.
“The breadth of this research illustrates the diversity of subject area expertise we have in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,” said Dr. Amy Warren, interim associate vice-president (academic). “The work conducted by these faculty members is consistently making our world a better place.”
Dean’s Award for Graduate Supervision: Dr. Danine Farquharson, Department of English
This award recognizes excellence in graduate student supervision.
From her nomination letter:
“Danine is a highly skilled and exceptionally generous mentor and supervisor, whose work with graduate students, in particular, is remarkable for its volume and for its quality. To date at Memorial, Danine has an outstanding record of completed supervisions, which includes two post-doctoral scholars, two PhDs, eight MA thesis students, and six master’s research essay students. She has a further three PhDs in progress . . . As an established scholar with diverse and wide-ranging interests, Danine has an uncanny ability to inspire and excite ideas, identify and nurture scholarly strength and create professional and academic opportunities for each of her students.”
Dean’s Award For Distinguished Scholarship: Dr. Mario Blaser, Department of Archaeology
This award recognizes a body of published scholarly work of excellent national or international standing.
From his nomination letter:
“Dr. Blaser’s scholarship has truly reached international standing. This impression was further confirmed when I saw the letters of support submitted by external reviewers to his file for promotion, all of whom stressed the global significance and impact of the conceptual framework he has developed through a large number of publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, edited volumes and manuscripts in both English and Spanish.”
Dean’s Award for Exceptional Service (tenured and tenure-track faculty)
Dr. Anne Thareau, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures
This award recognizes a record of academic service, within or outside HSS, whhere extent and quality significantly surpass accepted norms.
From her nomination letter:
“Dr. Thareau’s service to our department, as well as the faculty, is truly outstanding and the result of many years of sustained dedication. In addition, her invisible labour makes her part of the glue that holds us together as a community.”
In the letter, she is also cited, among many things, for her service to students and for her invaluable institutional knowledge, making her a true asset on any committee.
The Dean’s Award for Exceptional Service to the Faculty (Staff): Pamela Murphy, Department of Geography
This award recognizes a record of service to HSS that is demonstrably superior to that normally expected of staff members.
From her nomination letter:
“As the lynchpin of a dynamic research unit, Pam is more than just exceptional at her job — she is innovative in carrying out the spirit of ethical connections through administrative labour. Many people overlook how administration is a place to do ethics, connection and good relations, but Pam not only knows it, she achieves it.”
Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (Non-Tenure): Kate Lahey, Department of Gender Studies
This award recognizes superior performance in one or more areas of teaching: classroom teaching; curriculum or program development; or the advancement of teaching practice in HSS.
Her nomination letter states that Kate is not only a passionate teacher, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, but also deeply committed and responsive to student mental health needs. Her teaching is acknowledged in the following quote: “In such a short period, this breadth of teaching would already be exceptional for a tenure-track scholar; it is more than remarkable for a per-course instructor still finishing her doctoral degree.”
The William J. Kirwin Award: Dr. Keith Story
This award recognizes outstanding and noteworthy research and/or engagement activities by a retired faculty member.
From his nomination letter:
“A highly productive scholar as an active faculty member, Keith continues to be heavily implicated in research and academic publication in the areas of economic geography, natural resources and environmental impact assessment. He also contributes to public engagement on matters of national and provincial policy in these areas and his research impact and expertise are recognized far beyond Newfoundland and Labrador.”
The Peter Cashin Prize
Traditionally, the last award announced at the event is the Peter Cashin Prize, awarded annually to the best piece of scholarly work on the history and/or political economy of Newfoundland and Labrador published in the preceding calendar year.
This prize is funded by an endowment funded by the late Dr. Ed Roberts, who served as chair of Memorial’s Board of Regents from 1997–2000.
The recipient of the award was TautukKonik: Looking Back by Dr. Andrea Procter, Candace Cochrane and the Nunatsiavut Creative Group.
Looking Back combines historical images of Inuit life with Inuit recollections in both Inuktitut and English and is an inspired portrait of time and place presenting a unique cultural and historical look at life in northern Labrador.
Honourable mention for the Peter Cashin Prize was also given to Eliaq | Towards an Encyclopedia of Local Knowledge, Chapter III: Miawpukek | The Middle River by Dr. Pam Hall and Jerry Evans.
Both books were published by Memorial University Press.
