Ryerson Awards Celebration honours faculty and staff
Riley Kucheran, Faculty of Communication and Design, was one of the recipients of the Alan Shepard Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award. Photo credit: Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning.
On April 29, the Ryerson Awards Celebration was live streamed on YouTube to honour faculty and staff for their contributions to the university. The awards recognize excellence in teaching, research, administration, service and leadership as part of Ryerson’s awards and recognition program.
This year, 141 recipients were honoured, including 66 individuals and seven teams. There were a total of 337 employees nominated for an award. Now more than ever, it is important to celebrate the faculty and staff who have been driving positive change, especially in bringing Ryerson’s core values of equity, diversity and inclusion to life.
In his opening remarks, delivered through video, President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi congratulated the award recipients. “Through your actions, you have supported our values of equity, diversity and inclusion and you have earned your recognition in the most challenging of times,” he said.
“We have spent more than a year working in uncharted territory, but the strength of our community has prevailed. I believe that what we have achieved would not be possible with any other group of people. You have shown that we can accomplish anything, together.”
Halfway through the celebration, viewers were treated to a performance by Dr. Draw, a Canadian experimental electric violinist based in Toronto. He played Donna Summer’s “I feel love,” sparking comments in the chat section with attendees saying they felt as though they should be dancing.
At the end of the event, Chancellor Janice Fukakusa summed up the celebratory tone. “The dedication of talented individuals and teams has combined to create an environment where brilliance, initiative and community spirit have been able to flourish,” she said. “Together, we are a powerful force for change, for excellence, and for community.”
Meet some recipients from this year’s event:
Award recipient Antoinette Mercurio (far right) at the Two-Spirit Queer Circle event during Pride Month 2018 with Daniella Erwood and Myra Lefkowitz.
The Alan Shepard Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals or teams who advance equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through their work or volunteer contributions within the Ryerson community. Antoinette Mercurio, Office of the President, Central Communications, was recognized for going above and beyond her responsibilities as senior writer/editor to promote equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Riley Kucheran, from the Faculty of Communication and Design, received the award for his work advocating for equity within every facet of the university including his leadership in the resurgence of the Ryerson Pow Wow, as the Yeates School of Graduate Studies’ first Indigenous Advisor, his work on the Truth & Reconciliation Working Group and other committees.
Deborah Fels, Ted Rogers School of Management and Margot Whitfield, Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management, received the award for their work with the Inclusive Media and Design Centre. The IMDC is challenging stereotypical notions of accessibility, breaking down barriers to technology, education, entertainment and healthcare.
Deborah Fels and Margot Whitfield, of the Inclusive Media and Design Centre, are creating innovative solutions that meet a range of diverse human sensory experiences and perceptions along with differences in culture, gender, age, place and education.
The Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence award recognizes Ryerson educators or groups of educators with outstanding teaching records who have made contributions to advancing teaching and learning at Ryerson. Professor Linda Zhang received the award for her outstanding achievements in exploring innovative and emergent technologies and addressing important social-cultural issues.
From top left, the Get Ryerson Ready team: Michelle Green, Office of the Registrar; Kathryn Maksym, Athletics and Recreation; Meera Govindasamy, Student Affairs; Andrew Bisnauth, Student Affairs; Casey Dorrell, Ted Rogers School of Management; Deidre Lam, Student Affairs; Juannittah Kamera, Student Wellbeing; and Ann Wilkin, Student Affairs.
This award, named for Julia Hanigsberg, a former Ryerson vice-president of administration and finance, recognizes individuals and teams who have demonstrated excellence in client service, community engagement, innovation and sustainability. The Get Ryerson Ready team was convened to create an online preparatory program for incoming students. In just two months, while working in the new online environment, the team researched, developed, designed and implemented a robust, multi-disciplinary transition curriculum to support the success and well-being of the incoming class of 2020.
Lyn-Marie Farley, manager, international student support and intercultural learning in Student Affairs, received the Julia Hanigsberg Make Your Mark award for her commitment to providing excellent client service to Ryerson students and creatively combining this with a passion for ensuring they receive effective personal, professional and academic development.
Another notable award presented at the celebration was the President’s Blue and Gold of Excellence, which this year recognized the extraordinary efforts of two staff teams and one staff member in responding to challenges posed by the pandemic: Tanya Vlaskalin, Facilities Management and Development; the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching team; and the Student Housing COVID Response and Student Experience team
Congratulations to all of the award recipients! For a full list, visit the Recognition and Awards page.