University award recipients announced
Photo: The First-Year Engineering team, from left: Lamya Amleh (program director); Atifa Rasoul (projects co-ordinator); Martina Novacic (program co-ordinator) and Luaay Hussain (assistant program director). Not pictured: Shawzma Multani (program facilitator). Photo: Clifton Li.
The recipients of the 2017 President’s Blue and Gold Award of Excellence have been announced and all three share a common bond: a commitment to creating exceptional student experiences and the intentional, ongoing promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion. These recipients are among 127 employees to be recognized through the university’s Recognition and Awards program.
The five-person First-Year Engineering Office team receiving the Blue and Gold award serves more than 1,000 students annually. In 2016, they set out to make the experience of first-year students more inclusive, supportive and flexible. Their new “First-Year Ambassador (opens in new window) program” connects new students with more experienced students to provide mentorship and support.
“We try to make it as diverse as possible: people from different backgrounds, international students, and male and female because there is a deficiency of female students in engineering,” said Lamya Amleh, program director/academic advisor of the office.
Another innovative breakthrough by the team is their new FYEng (external link, opens in new window) mobile app, available in the App and Play stores. It provides instant access to all the pertinent information that first-year engineering students need from administrative forms to instructions on changing classes to interactive campus maps. Students can plug in their classroom and the app will help them find it.
Also receiving the Blue and Gold award are Denise O’Neil Green, the inaugural assistant vice-president/vice provost of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and Heather Lane Vetere, vice-provost students.
A 2016 Pioneers for Change Award Winner for Women in Leadership, Green established the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office (opens in new window) (EDI) resulting in numerous initiatives from the award-winning Soup and Substance program, which enables the community to have on-going conversations on difficult topics, to supporting the creation of all-gender washrooms to the Viola Desmond Day Awards Ceremony, which is now in its ninth year.
Lane Vetere oversees a portfolio of 300 staff who deliver support, services and programs to 40,000 students. She is recognized for her compassionate yet decisive decision-making style, and her commitment to better understand the student experience is epitomized by her In Their Shoes (external link, opens in new window) project. For the past three years, she has immersed herself in the world of students, enrolling in fashion and chemistry classes and was part of the 2016 women’s basketball team.
“All of these wonderful recipients speak to what Ryerson stands for: dedicated, innovative work that is always about supporting our students,” said Mohamed Lachemi, president of Ryerson University. “The work of our honorees showcases not only our contribution to education, but our commitment to our values and to our community.”
Ryerson Awards Night, taking place March 27, is an annual celebration of faculty and staff, acknowledging the highest achievements in teaching, research, administration, service and leadership. More information, including a complete list of 2017 award recipients, is available on the Recognition and Awards website.