We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Search the:

Apply Donate Crisis Centre

Recognizing the exemplary achievements and contributions of Ontario Tech University faculty and staff

Awards of Excellence, 10-Year Service Awards and Celebrate Teaching! Awards presented to dozens of outstanding employees

May 30, 2023

From left: Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University, Brilliant Catalyst Team members Connor Loughlean; Denzel Sheppard-Thompson; Leen Jaber; Lina Hamouda; Marissa George; Maryam Akhtar; Osman Hamid and Jamie Bruno, Vice-President, People and Transformation.

Over the last 20 years, Ontario Tech University’s reputation for high-quality teaching, student services, work-integrated learning opportunities and overall student satisfaction has grown steadily. This success hinges on the contributions and dedication of a diverse and collaborative community of faculty and staff members who make an outstanding impact at the university.

Ontario Tech recently hosted two special events to recognize these achievements:

Celebrate Teaching! Awards
The Celebrate Teaching! Awards ceremony on March 23 highlighted excellence in teaching, teaching innovation, and educational leadership at the university. The awards acknowledge the impact instructors of all kinds have on the university campus, and in the community.

Celebrate Teaching! award descriptions, nominees and recipients:
- Award for Excellence in Teaching: Goes to a faculty member who demonstrates superior achievements in teaching, as well as educational innovation, research, and leadership.
  - Murat Aydin, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS)
  - Wendy Barber, Faculty of Education (FEd) (winner)
  - Cecilia Hageman, Faculty of Science (FSc)
  - Richard Pazzi, Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT)
- Early Career Teaching Award: Recognizes innovation and excellence in teaching by individuals in the early stages of their teaching career (five years or less).
  - Thomas Gewarges, FBIT
  - Amanda McEachern Gaudet, FBIT (winner)
  - Nooshin Rotondi, Faculty of Health Sciences (FHSc)
  - Stephanie Thompson, FEd
- Learning Reimagined Award: Given to a faculty member who demonstrates unique and original solutions to problems of practice in their classes.
  - Cristen Hucaluk, FSc
  - Alison Mann, FEd (winner)
  - Mariana Shimabukuro, FSc
- Openness in Education Award: Goes to Ontario Tech community members who contribute, attribute, release and empower the use of open educational practices throughout the university’s campus and beyond.
  - Rupinder Brar, FSc
  - Pariss Garramone, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH)
  - Jennifer Laffier, FEd
  - Ami Mamolo, FEd (winner)
  - Annette Tavares, FSc
- Student Choice Award: Goes to student-nominated faculty members and instructors who contribute to teaching and learning within Ontario Tech’s campus community (awarded this year to the top-nominated professor or instructor in each faculty).
  - Gavin Ball, FBIT (winner)
  - Andrea Braithwaite, FSSH
  - Meaghan Charest-Finn, FEAS (winner)
  - Dana Chorney, FHSc
  - Adam Cole, FHSc
  - Randy Fortier, FSc
  - Pariss Garramone, FSSH
  - Crystal Garvey, FHSc
  - Jordan Harel, FSSH
  - Cristen Hucaluk, FSc
  - Mikael Khan, FHSc
  - Timothy MacNeill, FSSH (winner)
  - Stephanie Mavilla, FSc
  - Mary Olaveson, FSc
  - Tharini Paramananthan, FHSc
  - Elita Partosoedarso, FHSc
  - Tracey Persaud, FHSc
  - Tess Pierce, FSSH
  - Syed Qadri, FHSc (winner)
  - James Robb, FBIT
  - David Rudoler, FHSc
  - Otto Sanchez, FHSc
  - Ana Vakiloroayaei, FSc (winner)
- Teaching Assistant Excellence Award: Goes to teaching assistants who demonstrate superior commitment to their subject matter and students through teaching.
  - Joshua Howorth, FEAS
  - Andrew Putman, FHSc (winner)
- Tim McTiernan Student Mentorship Award: Goes to an individual who demonstrates a passion for supporting student success, an ability to inspire growth, and an outstanding commitment to promoting the values of the university.
  - Laura Banks, FHSc
  - Ifrodet Giorgees, FSc
  - Amanda McEachern Gaudet, FBIT
  - Robyn Ruttenberg-Rozen, FEd (winner)
  - Michael Watterworth, FHSc
Staff Awards of Excellence
On May 3, the university’s Human Resources department held its Annual Employee Awards Celebration event to recognize and honour all of the university’s hardworking and dedicated employees, and celebrate award nominees, recipients, and those reaching long-serving milestones.

Hosted by President Steven Murphy and Jamie Bruno, Vice-President, People and Transformation, the event kicked off with an engaging keynote speech from Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemmons, an American-Canadian sports executive, and former running-back and current General Manager for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. Following the speech, Ontario Tech student ‘King David’ (David Akinyemi, Mechatronics Engineering, class of 2023) performed a rousing rendition of the Ridgebacks Anthem.

Staff Awards of Excellence descriptions, nominees and recipients:
- Fiercely Ontario Tech: Recognizes a frontline staff member who consistently strives to support a culture of service excellence.
  - Elisa Beverley, Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation
  - Nicola From, Office of Continuous Learning
  - Mike Prasad (winner), Information Technology (IT) Services
- U Make A Mark: Recognizes individuals or teams who have developed or implemented a system, tool, initiative or program within their department, faculty or across the university which has positively impacted student success or employee experience.
  - Brilliant Catalyst Team: Connor Loughlean; Denzel Sheppard-Thompson; Leen Jaber; Lina Hamouda; Marissa George; Maryam Akhtar; and Osman Hamid (winners).
  - Ontario Tech Librarians: Alyssa Jeffrey; Chelsie Lalonde (Social Science and Education); Nathalie Zhou; Heather McTavish; Kaelan Caspary (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and Data); Kate Gibbings (Engineering and Applied Science); Lydia Thorne (Health Sciences); and Trish Johns-Wilson.
- Multifactor Authentication Team: Aaron Gates; Anna Jaworski; Bradley Chicoine; and Michelle Huinink-Barnes.
- Student Learning Centre: Eda Aydin; Laura Thursby; Lindsay Smith; Mark Neville; Matthew McGravey; Olga Bulakh; Sarah Coombs; Stephanie Rufh; and Tessa Troughton.
- Rising Star: Recognizes an emerging leader who has been with the university for two years or less, and who demonstrates a passion for their work and has made a significant impact in their short time at the university.
  - Davaun Francis, Office of the Registrar
  - Laura Thursby Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) (winner)
- Community Collaborator: Recognizes individuals or teams who help build rewarding relationships at the university, within our local community, or beyond.
  - Jennifer Alsop, Strategic Partnership Officer (winner)
  - Kaelan Caspary, STEM and Data Librarian
  - Marie Harvey, Communications and Marketing
  - Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) Experiential Learning Team: Cayla Da Silva and Dan Walters (winners)
10-year Service Award

Recognizing the significant service of the university’s valued employees who reached 10 years of service in the year 2022.
- Kevin Arbour, Regent Theatre
- Kirstie Ayotte, FSSH
- Robert Balogh, Faculty of Health Sciences (FHSc)
- Glenda Beja, Office of Student Life
- Yuri Bolshan, Faculty of Science (FSc)
- Toba Bryant, FHSc
- Poonamjit Cardoso, FHSc
- Pierre Côté, FHSc and Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation
- Kurshid Dain, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
- Ravinder Dhamrait, Office of the Registrar
- Julie Downes, FSc
- Gary Genosko, FSSH
- Shahla Gharibi, Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT)
- Michael Guy, IT Services
- Sheree Hendricks, Finance and Business Systems
- Daniel Hoornweg, FEAS, and Richard Marceau Chair
- Alexander Kidd, IT Services
- Chelsie Lalonde, Social Science and Education Librarian
- Jia Li, Faculty of Education
- Masoud Makrehchi, FEAS
- Olga Marques, FSSH
- Stephen Marsh, FBIT
- Sherry Marshall, FHSc
- Janet Martin, Library Technician
- Brianna McKay, Senior Academic Advisor
- Jennifer McKellar, FEAS
- Tanner Mirrlees, FSSH
- Atef Mohany, FEAS
- Mary Olaveson, FSc
- Elita Partosoedarso, FHSc
- Richard Pazzi, FBIT
- Isabel Pedersen, FSSH
- Milly Ryan-Harshman, FHSc
- Stacey Sainte-Marie, FSc
- Desiree Saunders, Senior Academic Advisor
- Tarlochan Sidhu, FEAS
- Leticia Simon, Office of the Registrar – Student Awards and Financial Aid
- George Stamatiou, FSc
- Annette Tavares, FSc
- Stephanie Walter, ACE

Quote:

“Congratulations to all nominees and award recipients. You inspire me every day with your exceptional contributions to the success of Ontario Tech University. Receiving this recognition from your peers speaks to our university’s culture of innovation, the depth of talent among our faculty and staff, and our commitment to putting students first.”
- Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University

Gallery

From left: Community Collaborator award winners Cayla Da Silva (not pictured) and Dan Walters and Jennifer Alsop, Strategic Partnership Officer

Fiercely Ontario Tech award winner Mike Prasad, Information Technology Services

Robyn Ruttenburg-Rozen, Tim McTiernan Student Mentorship Award winner

Amanda McEachern Gaudet, Early Career Teaching Award winner

Wendy Barber, Award for Excellence in Teaching winner

More news

Ontario Tech University students on Polonsky Commons (at the university's north Oshawa campus location) in the fall.

A clear trend: More high school graduates choosing Ontario Tech than ever before

image of Ontario Tech Women for STEM program members.

Marking a special milestone on the journey to gender parity in STEM-based fields

From left: John Henry, Durham Regional Chair; James Barnett, Vice-President, Advancement, Ontario Tech University; Don Lovisa, President, Durham College; Colin O’Regan, Board Member, Ontario Shores Foundation; and Warren Anderson (Roger Anderson’s son). (June 8, 2023).

25th Regional Chair’s Classic honours legacy of Roger Anderson

image of the WHO formally adopting resolution to ‘strengthen rehabilitation in health systems globally’, at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland on May 27, 2023.

Ontario Tech researcher helping champion global access to rehabilitation services