New student award recognizes undergraduate achievement in Language and Intercultural Relations program
On November 19, 2024, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (LLC) hosted its annual awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements of several outstanding students. The event recognized recipients of various honours, including the Dean’s List Award for the Language and Intercultural Relations (LIR) program, the French Award, the Spanish Award, the Ranjit Singh Dulai Scholarship, and the newly established Gerd Hauck Award in Intercultural Relations.
Program Director, Jamin Pelkey, hosting the 2024 LIR awards ceremony
The new award is named after Gerd Hauck, a recently retired professor from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Hauck has a background in theatre history, dramatic literature, and second language acquisition. His recent research explored the intersection of digital media and live theatre, as well as theatre's impact on healthcare professionals.
While academic achievement will be considered in the review process, the Award prioritizes undergraduate students in the LIR program for their leadership, compassion, and commitment. The inaugural recipient exemplifies academic excellence and active engagement, demonstrating a passion for intercultural studies, a love of language, and a deep appreciation for the importance of intercultural experiences and activities. During the ceremony, Hauck presented LIR student Suzette St. Pierre with the Gerd Hauck Award in Intercultural Relations.
In his remarks, Hauck noted, “I'm fortunate that Suzette…says in the wonderful note she sent me, negotiation is a learned skill, and even also is intercultural relations. It required a nuanced understanding backed by compassion.” Hauck continued, “I think the operative words here for me are backed by compassion, understanding, which requires learning, and, of course, the appreciation of interculturality.”
Gerd Hauck (left), award recipient Suzette St. Pierre (middle), and Department Chair Enriqueta Zafra (right)
Recipients of the 2023-2024 LIR Dean's List award with Department Chair Enriqueta Zafra (bottom left), Program Director Jamin Pelky (bottom right), and Interim Associate Dean of Innovation in Teaching and Learning Kathleen Kellett (top right)
Hauck adds, “We should all aspire towards intercultural relations because the world is a big village now, occupied by many, many different occupants from different parts of the world, different religions, different sexual orientations, different physicalities, different disabilities, and so forth, we need to be able to accommodate all of those.”
Hauck's passion for intercultural relations became clear as he reflected on his business career, recalling how he lacked enthusiasm and desire until pursuing a new path. Hauck joined the LLC Department in 2016 and has been in key roles since. Hauck expressed the importance not only of pursuing one’s passion in research but also meaningfully contributing to the next generation of scholars and intercultural thinkers, “If you have the opportunity to give back some of the financial rewards that you yourself received as a result of very fortunate circumstances…then I think it's a responsibility to give back to those…who are at the beginning of a very, very promising career.” Hauck added, “The goal is reaching a position where you can meaningfully contribute back to the communities. That is the gist of the intention behind this award, and I'm glad that Suzette has realized that, understands that.”
Alongside Suzette, Ellis Park was awarded the Ranjit Singh Dulai Scholarship, presented to the second-year student with the highest CGPA. Other honorees included Zahra Yassiri, recipient of the French Award; Jasmine Kwok, recipient of the Spanish Award; and the 2023-2024 Dean’s List recipients: Sham Al Mukdad, Rheya Altenberg, Arianna Balouchi, Ana Baltar Quiros, Grace Butland, Alberica Grassia, Aashna Halani, Elizabeth Hoppe, Ronuel Meagan Lacap, Aziza Maten, Anna Nozadze, Ellis Park, Julia Wienburg, and Zahra Yassiri. The event brought together award recipients, professors, and friends of LIR students to celebrate hard-earned success and broaden perspectives on language, communities, and the future possibilities of intercultural connections.
