Faculty And Staff Honoured For Outstanding Outreach Activities
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10:25 AM
Fifteen staff members of the University of Manitoba will be recognized for their outstanding community involvement through Outreach Awards at a special reception on November 21, 2007.
This year, recipients include people who help immigrants adjust to life in Canada, educate the public about brain injury, promote Aboriginal literature, work with the institutionalized elderly, inner-city poor and the mentally challenged, use their expertise to help improve the lives of people in other parts of the world, and “jazz up” the University of Manitoba.The recipients for 2007 are:
Dr. Francis Amara, biochemistry and medical genetics, for his community outreach activities for the benefit of children in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba, and for his leadership in the Sierra Leone community in Manitoba. Amara promotes life sciences education in high schools, has been instrumental in seeking partnerships with the Winnipeg Foundation and the Winnipeg Boys & Girls Club, founded the Aboriginal Science Head Start Program and is a mentor to Aboriginal students. He also founded the Sierra Leone Refugee Resettlement, Inc., aiding newcomers to Canada and guiding new immigrants in all aspects of daily living, being particularly dedicated to ensuring the successful integration of refugee children into Manitoba’s school system.
Prof. Kelley Beaverford, interior design, for helping students learn from working directly with people in need around the world. She has been led two design/build studios in Turkey; founded Architects Without Borders, Canada; assisted Tsunami-affected communities in Sri Lanka; and worked with a Ugandan village to assist in the design and construction of a school there.
Dr. Vincent Chan, community oral health, for dedicating his professional career to caring for Canada’s most disadvantaged populations. Dr. Chan has averaged more than six months per year providing much needed dental care in Northern communities, including the Deh Cho Region of the Northwest Territories, six communities in Northern Saskatchewan, eight communities in Nunavut and in Grise Ford, the world’s most Northern permanent community. In Winnipeg, Chan spends his time catering to special needs patients, including the institutionalized elderly, the inner-city poor and the mentally challenged.
Dr. Renate Eigenbrod, native studies, for her work in broadening the scope of programming on Aboriginal literatures available in the City of Winnipeg; and for her work as a member of the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Equality Coalition and of Confederation College’s advisory committee, advising on Aboriginal literatures of Canada. Eigenbrod is involved with Winnipeg high school teachers and regularly gives workshops to them so they may successfully introduce Aboriginal literatures to their students.
Dr. Paul Fernyhough, division of neurodegenerative disorders, for developing the neuroscience lesson program within Winnipeg elementary and junior high schools, and for incorporating neuroscience components into the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium. Fernyhough worked with over 1,500 students in 2005-2006, bringing cardiovascular and neuroscience research into the curriculum and raising awareness of work being done at the University of Manitoba and the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre. Fernyhough is president of the Winnipeg Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience and organizes the annual Brain Awareness Week for both the public and neuroscience professionals.
Mr. Bud Henry, physical plant, for his long-time involvement in the University of Manitoba’s United Way Campaigns. For many years, Henry has been a canvasser for the United Way and has worked actively to recruit other Physical Plant staff to volunteer their time to the United Way Campaign. He has organized special events such as barbecues and 50/50 lottery draws and has played a key role in the University’s largest United Way event, the Rainbow Auction.
Prof. Steve Kirby, Faculty of Music, for his contributions to jazz music culture and activities in the City of Winnipeg. His ongoing work as a volunteer in community projects has had a tremendous effect on the lives of numerous inner city children.
Dr. Kelly Mackay, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management,
for her collaboration with other universities, park agencies and the Nature Conservatory of Manitoba; for her role as a founding and on-going member of the Parks and Protected Areas Research Forum of Manitoba; and for her long-standing service on boards and committees, sharing her knowledge and expertise with community, industry and government agencies working in the tourism industry. MacKay works with the Manitoba Chapter of the Philanthropic Education Organization which raises funds to provide scholarships, grants, awards and loans to motivate, support, and mentor women to help meet their educational goals.
Dr. Robert O’Kell, English, for his service on two national boards: the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. O’Kell gives the University of Manitoba and the province of Manitoba a strong voice on these boards in decisions that have both immediate and lasting impact on the intellectual and cultural life of Canadian citizens.
Mrs. Carol Prosk, Military Support Office, for her dedication in supporting Canadian Forces students who are abroad. Prosk works with military families and instructors increasing access to the military support program and ensuring that students can complete their courses wherever they are. She also represents the University of Manitoba and the Military Support Office at annual educational fairs held on military bases across Canada. Her expertise has made the University of Manitoba “the” place to go to for Canadian Forces students.
Dr. Robert Roughley, entomology, for his dedication in assisting members of the general public in identifying insects in response to their calls to the “Bug Line” and e-mails from around the world. Roughley has responded to over 12,000 public enquiries on insect identifications since becoming the University’s taxonomic specialist in 1983. He is also a major resource for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives staff who receive insect-related enquiries from farmers and seek advice from, or pass on the enquiry to, him. Roughley has also appeared on numerous television and radio call-in shows as “the insect expert.”
Dr. Jessica Senehi, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, St. Paul’s College, for initiating and organizing two Winnipeg Storytelling Festivals. These festivals, international in scope, have captured a large Manitoban and Canadian audience and attracted renowned storytellers from around the world. These peacemaking events connect people from around the world in creative and sensitive ways. Senehi has also been directly involved in organizing the Mauro Centre’s Concerts for Peace, helping to draw attention to the goal of the Mauro Centre, which is promoting peace and justice. Senehi has also recently worked with St. Boniface General Hospital on a project using storytelling as a way of addressing workplace conflict and stress for nurses.
Mrs. Eleanor Stardom, classics, for her annual calendar drive, which puts calendars in every room of the Victoria Hospital, the Grace Hospital and the Seven Oaks Hospital, so patients do not have to look at cold, bare walls. Stardom, through her volunteer efforts, has created a caring community within the Faculty of Arts and also within other units of the university. The hospitals that receive the calendars are aware that they are from the faculty, staff and students at the University of Manitoba. Thus her efforts raise the profile of the university and enrich the contacts between the university, hospitals, patients and their families.
Dr. James Teller, geological sciences, for his role in helping to guide and promote activities for the International Year of Planet Earth, which was proclaimed for 2008 by the United Nations. Teller serves on six different committees that are working on activities for the International Year of Planet Earth, which will be the largest ever international undertaking to promote the earth sciences. In addition, Teller is an eloquent and passionate spokesperson about the quaternary geology of Manitoba and the role that glacial Lake Agassiz had on global climate. He has also participated in radio and television productions and given numerous media interviews on topics related to global climate change and environmental sustainability.
Prof. Jean Trottier, landscape architecture, for leading Architecture students in their design and construction of the Welcome Place outdoor gathering space in Winnipeg and the Minnedosa Design/Build studio. In Minnedosa, Trottier led landscape architecture students who designed and built an entry gate and fence for the town’s Ishii Japanese Garden, a new entry canopy and seating for the library, and the redevelopment of Tanner’s Crossing Park. All of these initiatives had a significant impact on the physical environment of the Town of Minnedosa and promoted community pride and involvement among residents.
For more information, contact:
Chris Rutkowski
Media Relations Coordinator
Public Affairs
rutkows@ms.umanitoba.ca
Phone: (204) 474-9514
Fax: (204) 474-7631
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