The 2020 President’s Awards will be presented to 17 individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to our students, our university or our communities on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

The tradition of the President’s Awards goes back more than 30 years.

And while they are called the President’s Awards, they are a reflection of the high esteem in which the Memorial University community holds the recipients, as the recipients have been nominated for the honours by their peers, their students or their communities.

The award winners serve as role models for the entire Memorial community, whether it’s helping students to discover their true potential, inspiring their co-workers by their dedication to Memorial or partnering to address community needs.

The event begins at 3:30 p.m. at Signal Hill Campus for invited guests. The Memorial community is invited to watch online.

This year’s recipients follow below.

John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship

Dr. Ursula Kelly, University Research Professor, Faculty of Education, will receive the John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship.

The award, named for the first president of Memorial University College, recognizes faculty who embody the university’s mission by demonstrating exceptional teaching, undertaking world-class research and sharing their knowledge and expertise widely.

The award is comprised of the lifetime designation Distinguished University Professor and a one-time unrestricted grant ($20,000) to support future research, teaching and/or public engagement activities at Memorial University.

Distinguished Teaching

The President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, recognizing teaching excellence in the university community, will be awarded to Dr. April Pike, associate professor, Faculty of Nursing; and Dr. Kristin Poduska, professor, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Faculty of Science.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff) will be awarded to Dr. Janna Rosales, assistant professor (Teaching), Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Faculty) will be awarded to Dr. Rebecca Milley, associate professor, School of Science and the Environment, Grenfell Campus.

Outstanding Graduate Supervision

Dr. Christina Bottaro, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, will be awarded the President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Supervision.

This award recognizes exemplary efforts to foster success in the research and scholarship of their graduate or postgraduate students and to advance their students’ success in their profession.

Outstanding Research

President’s Awards for Outstanding Research will be awarded to Dr. Shawn Leroux, associate professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science; Dr. Eric Tenkorang, associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr. Baiyu Zhang, Canada Research Chair and professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

This award recognizes young researchers who have made significant contributions to their scholarly disciplines.

University Research Professor

Dr. Stephen Piercey, professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, will be honoured with the title University Research Professor, a designation above the rank of professor that goes to faculty members who demonstrate a consistently high level of scholarship and whose research is of a truly international stature.

Exemplary Service

The President’s Awards for Exemplary Service will be awarded to five Memorial community members. They are Robin Baggs, associate registrar (student systems), Office of the Registrar; Adrian Dobre, co-ordinator, Engineering One Student Success Centre, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; Jennifer Howell, enrolment management co-ordinator, Academic and Student Affairs, Marine Institute; the Environmental Health and Safety Team, Office of the Chief Risk Officer; and Marie-Claude Renaud, manager, Conference Services, Grenfell Campus.

The President’s Award for Exemplary Service is presented to employees who have demonstrated outstanding service and/or who have made significant contributions to the university community beyond that normally expected for their positions.

Public Engagement Partnerships

The President’s Awards for Public Engagement Partnerships celebrate exemplary community-university collaborations that are in keeping with the goals of Memorial’s Public Engagement Framework. Up to two awards are offered annually for partnerships between one or more students, staff and/or faculty members and an organization or group from outside Memorial.

This year, the President’s Award for Public Engagement Partnerships will be awarded to Memorial University and SmartICE. The partnership is providing young people with opportunities to learn and grow, while also helping Northern communities adapt to our changing climate.

Exceptional Community Service

The President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service will be awarded to Dr. Jakub Martinec, assistant professor, School of Music. This award is presented in recognition of employees (faculty or staff) who have demonstrated outstanding community service.

Congratulations to all 2020 President’s Awards recipients!