Winners of the 2015 President's Staff Recognition Awards named

Each year York celebrates the achievements of its dedicated staff at the President’s Staff Recognition Awards—an important part of the University’s commitment to fostering employee engagement and recognizing excellence. This year, numerous nominations were submitted for these awards, which is evidence of the exceptional work being done by staff members across campus every day. After careful deliberation by selection committees, York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri is pleased to acknowledge the recipients and nominees of the 2015 President's Staff Recognition Awards.

“I always look forward to the opportunity to recognize the outstanding work of our dedicated staff through the President’s Staff Recognition Awards,” said Shoukri. “These awards enable us to honour the incredible efforts of our hard-working staff, whose contributions are helping to position York as one of Canada’s leading universities.”

This year’s award winners will be celebrated at an awards dinner on May 5.

The awards, recipients and nominees are as follows:

The Ronald Kent Medal

Howard Hunter, laboratory technologist, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

The medal recognizes contribution of employees who promote and strengthen collegiality, spirit and goals of York University.

Also nominated for this award:

1. Janet Friskney, research officer, Research Support, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional
2. Mohammed Bhimani, senior information systems specialist, eServices Office, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
3. Mary Pecchia, administrative assistant, Department of Theatre, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
4. Patricia Munoz, administrative assistant; Department of English, Department of Sociology, Department of Philosophy; Glendon College

The Deborah Hobson York Citizenship Award

Lynda Tam, assistant dean, Students, Office of the Dean, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design

This award recognizes employees who have demonstrated a high level of service to students and who promote York’s spirit in terms of creativity, innovation and redefining the possible in service to the university community.

Also nominated for this award:

1. Susan Pogue, Career Counsellor, Career Centre
2. Suzanne Park, Assistant to the Master, Office of the Master, Bethune College

The President's Leadership Award

Louise Hartley, director, York University Psychology Clinic

The President’s Leadership award recognizes contributions that go beyond the published requirements of a position, and performance levels that foster a high level of professionalism and usually extend beyond an individual department into the University community at large.

Also nominated for this award:

1. David Bell, director of development, Schulich School of Business
2. Helen McLellan, executive officer, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science
3. Katherine Branton, manager, Emergency Preparedness Program, Department of Community Safety
4. Mya Rimon, assistant dean students, Osgoode Hall Law School
5. Brad Sheeller, manager, Health Safety and Compliance, Faculty of Science
6. Robert Everett, assistant secretary to the University, University Secretariat
7. Sarah Cantrell, executive director, Office of Institutional Planning & Analysis
8. Robert Castle, senior executive officer, Vice-President Finance & Administration
9. Ron Mitchell, manager, Academic Resource Planning, Office of the Dean, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
10. Stephen Pottle, director, Risk Management Services, Finance Department

The President's Voice of York Award

Cristalina Del Biondo, graduate program assistant, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science 

The Voice of York Award is given to an individual employed as a receptionist or who is a first-line-of-contact person at York University. The most important voice of York is the one that callers or visitors hear first. Tact and professionalism, particularly in handling difficult or sensitive situations, is essential to our work at York University.

Also nominated for this award:

1. Belawati Husain, administrative secretary, Office of the Dean, Schulich School of Business
2. Shelby Vavra, program secretary, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Program, Faculty of Education
3. Wendy Jokhoo, ethics review co-ordinator, Office of Research Ethics
4. Donna Hewison, student affairs assistant, Faculty of Graduate Studies
5. Doreen Lo Choy. principal's office assistant, Office of the Principal, Glendon College
6. Jacqueline Angoh, graduate program assistant, Francophone Studies (MA and PhD), MA in Translation Studies, Glendon College
7. Rose Celebre, administrative assistant, Centre for Human Rights
8. Francesca Di Rosa, administrative secretary, Department of Hispanic Studies, Glendon College

The Phyllis Clark Campus Service Award

Henry Leung, custodian, Custodial Services Services, Campus Services & Business Operations

The award is presented annually to a non-academic employee of York University who has made exemplary contributions to the operations of either of York’s campuses in terms of efficiency, cleanliness, safety, security and/or other campus or plant services.

Also nominated for this award:

1. Eric Hill-Whitson, 2nd class maintenance & relief operating engineer, Campus Services & Business Operations
2. Mary Lynn Belmonte, administrative assistant, Teaching Commons
3. Paul Harrison, loading dock supervisor, Library Facilities
4. Larry Trotter, mechanic, Grounds, Campus Services & Business Operations
5. Marshal Kaus, carpenter, Maintenance, Campus Services & Business Operations

The Harriet Lewis Team Award for Service Excellence

Advancement Research and Records

• Jeff Briand, associate director research and records, Advancement
• Steve Wardle, senior advancement research analyst, Advancement
• Philipa Vaz, advancement research analyst, Advancement
• Betty Kung, research and records analyst, Advancement
• Jordan Kelyana, prospect analyst, Advancement
• Christabelle Ambrosio, prospect analyst, Advancement

This award recognizes team’s excellence in service and support to students, faculty, staff and/or other service users and promote the York spirit in terms of imagination, creativity, innovation and redefining the possible in service to York’s community (internal or external)

Also nominated for this award:

1. Glendon Information Technology Services

• Aladin Alaily, director, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Patrick Thibaudeau, manager, Information Systems & Technology Enhanced Learning, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Mireille Nyindu, administrative coordinator, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Duncan Appleton, media technologist, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Kevin Friedberg, operations and events technician, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Matthew Kensett, assistant technical coordinator, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Luc Mallet, systems administrator, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Johanna Parrales, web programmer, Glendon Information Technology Services
• Rosa Tarulli, helpdesk coordinator, Glendon Information Technology Services

2. Bergeron Centre of Excellence Project Committee

• Richard Francki, assistant vice-president, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Irina Arsene, construction project manager, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Patrick Saavedra, director, Planning & Renovations Campus Services & Business Operations
• Richard Ooi, senior executive officer/ executive director, Academic Administration, Vice-President Academic & Provost
• Helen Psathas, director, Campus Planning & Development, Environmental Design & Sustainability, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Peter Thompson, advisor, Institutional Space Planning, Vice-President Finance & Administration
• Douglas Reid, director, Learning and Research Infrastructure, Office of the Dean, Lassonde School of Engineering
• Christopher Russell, ICT Infrastructure & Information security officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, University Information Technology
• Jason Gerrity, director, Client Support Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, University Information Technology
• Dexter King, director, Procurement Services, Finance
• Adriano Morassutti, project coordinator, Renovations, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Anthony Barbisan, director, Food Services, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Rita Dibiase, coordinator, Process Development & Special Projects, Facilities Development, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Akshay Bali, project assistant, Facilities Development, Campus Services & Business Operations
• Tony Manza, planning manager, Infrastructure Planning Administration, University Information Technology
• Steven Fraser, manager,Corrective Maintenance, Campus Services & Business Operations

3. STS Department, Including NATs Division

• Libi Lancia, administrative assistant, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Division of Natural Science, Faculty of Science
• Sindy Mahal, graduate program assistant, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Graduate Studies
• Niki Lacatus, department secretary, Division of Natural Science, Faculty of Science
• Janaki De Camillis, undergraduate program assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science

4. Library Accessibility Services

• Meredith Hatton, Manager, Access Services, Scott Library
• Vivian Alfieri, Transcription Coordinator, Library Accessibility Services
• Claudio Lacoe, Transcription Coordinator, Library Accessibility Services
• Laszlo Juhos, Circulation Reserve and Transcription Assistant, Library Accessibility Services
• Veronica Pinnock, Circulation Reserve and Transcription Assistant, Library Accessibility Services

For more information on each of the awards and past recipients, please visit the President's Staff Recognition Awards Website.