Eight members of the Faculty’s administrative and technical staff were honoured at this year’s Celebrating Engineering Success reception for their achievements and their contributions to the Faculty’s success.

This year’s winner of the Agnes Kaneko Citizenship Award is Joe Baptista, Building Services Officer in MIE. Named in honour of a valued staff member in Civil Engineering, this award recognizes staff who have served the Faculty with distinction and made contributions to the Faculty’s mission above and beyond their job description, over a long period of time. Joe received this award for his demonstrated commitment not only to providing excellent and innovative service to faculty and staff, but also for assisting student groups find space for their activities. This dedication to students, plus his positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills, make Joe an outstanding Faculty citizen.

Helen Bright, Associate Registrar, Admissions, is the inaugural winner of the Faculty’s Emerging Leader Award. This award recognizes a staff member who leads by example in her dedication to the Faculty’s mission and demonstrates potential to assume a more senior leadership role in the Faculty. Helen has implemented a number of improvements to the admissions process. These include policy initiatives, such as the earlier release of admissions decisions, and technological innovations, such as a barcode tracking system for admissions documents. Her willingness to take on new challenges and her ability to master those challenges have allowed Helen to make an enormous impact in just a few years.

The Influential Leader Award for a staff member who demonstrates exemplary support for the Faculty’s endeavours, has made significant sustained contributions to the Faculty, and inspires others to realize their potential, was awarded to Arlene Smith, Business Manager and Coordinator of Administrative Services for ChemE. Arlene has been with ChemE for over 34 years, starting as a clerk and steadily taking on more responsibility.  She was responsible for creating ChemE’s first weekly newsletter and writing the department’s guide to financial procedures. Arlene is a role model and mentor for administrative staff within and outside the department, establishing an expectation of excellence and leading by example.

The Innovation Award recognizes staff who have developed an innovative new method, technology or system, made innovative improvements to an existing technology or system, or created an innovative solution to a problem. It was won by the team of Joan Chen, Pauline Martini, Liam Mitchell and Deborah Peart of ChemE, for their innovations in improving the department’s Graduate Research Weekend. This team initiated a number of improvements to the 2009 event, including a marketing campaign led by Deborah Peart, a campus and city tour offered by Liam Mitchell and a revamped information package created by Joan Chen and Pauline Martini. The result was an increase in the quality and quantity of applicants and a highly successful event which has attracted the notice of other institutions.

Pierina Filippone, Assistant Registrar, Scholarships and Financial Aid, is the inaugural winner of the Quality of Student Experience Award, recognizing a staff member who has made significant contributions to the quality of student experience in the Faculty. Pierina has helped countless students in difficult circumstances deal with emotional and financial pressures in a caring and resourceful manner, providing both practical advice and a sympathetic ear. Many students credit Pierina with ensuring that they were able to continue their education in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Pierina also has an excellent reputation among the alumni she works with establishing student scholarships and awards.

“These awards acknowledge the outstanding contributions that our staff are making to the Faculty’s research and educational mission and the essential role they play in our success,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all the award recipients.”