Dr. Gary Kachanoski recognized outstanding educators, researchers, staff members and community partners during the 2018 President’s Awards ceremony at Signal Hill Campus on Wednesday evening, Dec. 12.
“While they are called the President’s Awards, they are a reflection of the high esteem in which our Memorial University community holds the recipients, because all of them have been nominated and recommended for these honours by their peers, their students or their communities,” he said, noting the tradition of the President’s Awards goes back more than 30 years. “Our award winners truly serve as role models for the entire Memorial community.”
John Lewis Paton recipient
Dr. Bill Montevecchi, a University Research Professor of Psychology, Biology and Ocean Sciences, was presented 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, was presented to Dr. Jeannette Byrne, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation; and Dr. Yuanzhu Chen, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science.
The President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Faculty) was awarded to Dr. Heather McLeod, Faculty of Education.
The President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff) was awarded to Beth Ann Austin, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science.
Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision
Dr. Elizabeth Yeoman, Faculty of Education, received the Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision award. 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.
Research
President’s Award for Outstanding Research recipients are Dr. Ronald Haynes, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science; and Dr. Alex Marland, professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The President’s Award for Outstanding Research recognizes young researchers who have made significant contributions to their scholarly disciplines.
University Research Professor
Dr. Ratana Chuenpagdee, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Ursula Kelly, Faculty of Education; and Dr. David Pike, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, were 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.
Public Engagement
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 award was presented to Young Adults With Cancer In Their Prime: A Patient-oriented Collaborative Study. The research team was led by Dr. Sheila Garland, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, cross-appointed to Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, along with community partners Geoff Eaton, executive director, and Karine Chalifour, program director, of Young Adult Cancer Canada.
Exceptional Community Service
The President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service was awarded to Robert Nolan, assistant registrar, Office of the Registrar. This award is presented in recognition of employees (faculty or staff) who have demonstrated outstanding community service.
Exemplary Service
The President’s Awards for Exemplary Service have been awarded to five Memorial community members. They are Angelo Casanas, Genesis; Mary Flinn, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science; Rick Lawes, Facilities Management; Sharon Pippy, Centre for Institutional Analysis and Planning; and Brian Quinn, Dr. C.R. Barrett Library, Marine Institute.
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.
