Congratulations to Catherine Gagne and Helen Bright, who have been honoured by the University with Chancellor’s Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions by administrative staff members.
Gagne was awarded the Influential Leader Award, for “a staff member who has continually demonstrated innovative leadership to achieve outstanding contributions to the University by motivating and empowering others.” Bright received the Emerging Leader Award, for “a staff member who demonstrates significant potential to assume more senior leadership in the organization.” The Chancellor’s Awards are part of the University’s Awards of Excellence program, which promotes and recognizes excellence among its community members.
Catherine Gagne has served the University with distinction for 20 years, 12 of those as the Faculty’s Chief Administrative Officer. Her many achievements in this role include the coordination of the Faculty’s participation in the province’s enrolment growth initiative (ATOP), which provided for the building of the Bahen Centre, and the implementation of the Faculty’s new budget allocation process, drawing on experience gained as one of the team who developed the University’s new budget model. An avid supporter of staff development, she has mentored many junior and senior staff over the years, motivating them to rise to their potential and seek promotional and professional opportunities. In 2009, Gagne spearheaded the creation and implementation of the Faculty’s new Staff Awards program and in 2006 she developed and implemented ‘Faculty Day’, which has become an annual event that brings together academic and administrative staff to share in a full day of professional development and networking on a special theme. Prior to her appointment as CAO, Catherine was the Registrar at the Rotman School of Management and the Business Officer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Helen Bright is the former Associate Registrar, Director of Admissions, and currently the Information Analyst, Admissions, for the Faculty. She is the recipient of the Faculty’s Emerging Leader Award in 2010. She has led the development of a number of programs which have made the Faculty’s admissions and registration process more efficient and user-friendly. These include the creation and subsequent redesign of the student portfolio form, a performance tracking program for non-OSS students, a barcode tracking system for documents and a database for tracking and transferring credits. She has also implemented a third admissions cycle and the early release of non-OSS admissions decisions. Highly regarded by colleagues and students alike for her exemplary attitude, Bright has shown a constant willingness to take on new challenges and has succeeded in mastering all of them.
“We are delighted that the University has recognized the contributions of these two outstanding administrators to U of T’s teaching and research mandate,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “I congratulate them on their achievements and thank them for their tremendous dedication to our Faculty.”
The 2011 Awards of Excellence recipients will be honoured at a ceremony on April 6 in the Great Hall of Hart House.
