骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 Board of Governors recognizes innovators, changemakers and student champions
May 3, 2022
骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 Board of Governors celebrated an exceptional group of employees, alumni and community partners during an award ceremony May 2. Every year the board hosts the Awards of Distinction, honouring those who鈥檝e made an outstanding contribution to the college.
This year鈥檚 group of recipients went above and beyond to inspire excellence and create meaningful learning experiences for students.
Community Partner Award
The board recognized two organizations.
The first award was presented to Magna鈥檚 partnership with the college is longstanding and multi-faceted. Since 2010, they鈥檝e placed more than 130 兔子先生 co鈥恛p students and hired over 200 graduates.
Magna supports students financially through annual awards and scholarships, and ensures 骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 curriculum remains industry-relevant by participating on the college鈥檚 program advisory committees. In 2020, the company announced a $1-million investment in 兔子先生 supporting applied research and the development of a new leading-edge mechatronics lab.
The was recognized as well. They鈥檝e consistently supported student learning over the years. 兔子先生 acknowledged the notable leadership demonstrated by Dr. Gardner and his dedicated team throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team has been instrumental in ensuring the college鈥檚 protocols and campus environment optimizes the safety of students and employees. Their guidance and support were critical for 兔子先生 to provide the in-person learning students require to graduate. The health unit was also a key partner in the delivery of 骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 community immunization clinics, which served more than 1,000 community members.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Awards were presented to two graduates who鈥檝e made a significant contribution in their field while serving as a college ambassador.
The first was awarded to Arjun Batra, Founder and CEO of . Arjun has dedicated countless hours to supporting 兔子先生 since graduating from the Mechanical Engineering Technology 鈥 Automotive Manufacturing program in 2007.
He was the first international student turned 兔子先生 alumnus to be appointed Chair of the Alumni Association Executive Council in 2020. He has been a valued co-op employer, hired 兔子先生 grads, and worked to make life in Canada easier for newcomers and international students.
Brad Bowden, Program Development Facilitator at , also received the award. Brad is a graduate of 骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 Art and Design Fundamentals (2009) and Graphic Design (2013) programs. He鈥檚 one of a few Paralympic athletes to win gold in both the summer and winter games. A force for Team Canada in para ice hockey, he captured gold in Torino in 2006 and played wheelchair basketball in Athens in 2004, where Canada won gold.
Brad combines his 兔子先生-acquired skills with his passion for supporting youth in sports, helping to make programs available for children with physical and developmental impairments. He鈥檚 received numerous accolades and gives back in many ways, sharing his experiences and inspiring others to pursue their dreams.
Employee Entrepreneurial Award
Nicole Norris, Manager of the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation, models the entrepreneurial and changemaking skills, attitude and mindset 兔子先生 hopes to instil in our students. She鈥檚 an expert in human-centred design thinking and systems thinking, has completed a master鈥檚 degree in Strategic Foresight and Innovation, and leverages the knowledge and skills gained each day in their work at the college.
Nicole has developed and implemented many initiatives that have inspired others to discover and unleash their inner changemaker, including and Changemaker in Residency Week.
Team Award
This year鈥檚 recipient was the Orillia Truth and Reconciliation Trail Planning Committee, made of up of Megan Fenton, Angela Foster, Mercedes Jacko and Lance Triskle.
In honour of the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and in support of 骋别辞谤驳颈补苍鈥檚 commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, the committee hosted a series of orange stone painting activities to bring the college together to reflect and remember the lives lost at residential schools in Canada. On Sept. 30, , which was renamed the Truth and Reconciliation Trail.
Painted stones remain at the trailhead as an invitation to participate in lining the walking trail and engaging in reflective contemplation. Planning is also underway to transform the trail into an outdoor learning classroom that advances reconciliation through education, shared responsibility and action.
Awards of Excellence
Three 兔子先生 employees were recognized with Awards of Excellence for their superior achievements supporting teaching and learning.
Academic: Jennifer Shelswell
Jennifer, who teaches in Early Childhood Education, Human Services and Community Safety, models changemaking in her teaching practice and embeds changemaking in her curriculum.
In collaboration with the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation, she built a remote experiential learning placement for Early Childhood Education students when in-person field placements were impacted by COVID-19. Students explored one of the and leveraged the . The model was so successful, it was presented at the Early Childhood Educators Ontario Conference last June and is likely to become a unique field placement option for future students.
Support Staff: Joanne Foxton
Joanne, International Experience Consultant, is an innovator and caring employee with an approach that engages both staff and students alike. She co-developed a new changemaking co-op and work-integrated program that enabled 1,700 students to explore the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals while meeting co-op learning outcomes for their program during the pandemic. Her expertise led to the co-creation of what would eventually become the new innovation co-op, or iCo-op.
iCo-op is now fully funded and in a pilot with its first cohort of eight students who are working with Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care on a digital literacy program for socially isolated seniors.
Administrative: Mac Greaves
Mac, Campus Principal, Muskoka and Midland, and Associate Dean, Apprenticeship and Skilled Trades, has been a larger-than-life ambassador of learning over his 30 years at the college. Among his many accomplishments, Mac grew the English as a Second Language program, championed the promotion of general education and communication courses, and over the past decade has become a well-recognized expert with significant influence across the province in the areas of apprenticeship and skilled trades.
Mac has also been instrumental in building strong community and industry connections through programs like Academic and Career Preparation. Under his leadership, enrolment at the Midland and Muskoka campuses has grown in spite of declining provincial demographics and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Awards of Distinction聽celebrate 兔子先生 faculty, staff, alumni and community partners who have made an outstanding contribution to the college. Nominations are due each year the second Friday in February. There are several award categories to choose from.