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Professor Laurence Harris wins the President's Research Excellence Award

muellerm — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Laurence Harris

Laurence Harris, professor of psychology in the Faculty of Health, has been named the recipient of a 2014 President’s Research Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to multi-sensory research and to 91��ɫ’s research community.

“Professor Harris is a tremendous credit to 91��ɫ and as such is a highly deserving recipient of this year’s Research Excellence Award,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “Throughout his distinguished career at the University, he has demonstrated consistently strong leadership in research and academic excellence, as well as mentorship and student success. One of Canada’s best-known vision scientists, his pioneering research contributions have had far-reaching impact locally, nationally and internationally, and have significantly enriched research life at 91��ɫ and enhanced our reputation as a leading research-intensive university.”

“I am honoured to be the recipient of the 2014 President's Research Excellence Award,” said Harris, who is also the director of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research, an Organized Research Unit at the University. “The award acknowledges my research and that of my students, and recognizes my contributions to breaking down the artificial barriers that have historically been erected between the senses. The award emphasizes the respect and significance that 91��ɫ attaches to research.”

Introduced four years ago coinciding with 91��ɫ’s 50th anniversary, the award recognizes established, full-time, active faculty members with outstanding research achievement and significant contributions to advance the University’s international reputation for research excellence. It will be presented at the 91��ɫ U Research Leaders event, held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in recognition of student and faculty research success and to celebrate 91��ɫ’s 2013-14 research achievements.

The Senate Committee on Awards selected Harris from eight nominees to receive this year’s award — a $10,000 internal research grant — for his many achievements as an internationally renowned scholar who has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of multi-sensory research.

Harris, who recently led a $1.9-million project funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to investigate the role of peripheral vision in balance and self-motion to help reduce the risk of falling in at-risk populations, has published more than 20 book chapters. His work has been published in some 100 peer-reviewed papers, including journals such as Nature, Science and PNAS. A past chair of the Department of Psychology, Harris has also been a dedicated teacher, mentor and citizen of the University.

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Eight from 91��ɫ to receive diamond jubilee medals

fmaquito — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Eight members of the 91��ɫ community are among the early recipients of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in honour of their achievements and significant contributions to Canada.

The medals are in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as queen of Canada and some 60,000 Canadians are expected to be recognized throughout 2012.

Distinguished Research Professor and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada James Carley of 91��ɫ’s Department of English, a specialist in book history, was nominated for his outstanding contributions to scholarship in Canada and internationally by Senator Nicole Eaton, who is also the chair of the board of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto.

Ronald Pearlman

University Professor Emeritus Ronald Pearlman and Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus Kenneth Davey both of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering were nominated by the Royal Canadian Institute (RCI) for the Advancement of Science for their outstanding contributions to the institute, as well as their support of a science culture and of science literacy in Canada. In addition, Professor Peter Victor of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) was nominated for his support of the institute’s science outreach activities.

Four members of 91��ɫ’s Learning Technology Services in University Information Technology will also be honoured. They were nominated by the RCI for their work webcasting the institute’s lectures so they could be viewed around the world, increasing the public's awareness and understanding of science. They are Bob McKenzie, assistant manager of media services, Robert Denault (BA Hons. ’05), a digital media support specialist who has worked at the University since 2003, David Gibson, digital media support specialist, and Kelly Parke, program organizer.

Robert Denault

Pearlman, first-vice-president of the RCI and incoming president, is the director of the Core Molecular Biology/DNA Sequencing Facility and former associate dean and dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. He is also associate scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation and co-ordinates the student outreach program for Gairdner. His research interests include molecular biology and biochemistry, cell biology and genetics utilizing the new genomic and proteomic technologies.

Kenneth Davey

Davey, vice-chair of the Board of Canadian Science Publishing, is co-author of the first-year university textbook, Biology: Exploring the Diversity of Life (2009), and is the former co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Zoology. On the administrative side, Davey once held the positions of chair of 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science and vice-president, academic. He previously won the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. He is also an officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a past president of the RCI. His research explores the control of development and physiology in various invertebrates, principally insects and nematodes.

Peter Victor

Victor, past president of the RCI and the founding president of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics, is an economist who has worked on environmental issues for 40 years as an academic, public servant and consultant. He is chair of the Greenbelt Council of Ontario, as well as a member of the Board of the David Suzuki Foundation. From 1996 to 2001, Victor was dean of FES, and before that an assistant deputy minister at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

James Carley

Carley is an associate fellow of the and an honorary research fellow of Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford. His latest publication is an edition and translation of the De uiris illustribus by the Tudor antiquary John Leland. Carley’s previous works include King Henry VIII’s Prayer Book: Facsimile and Commentary (2009), (2004) and (2000).

Kelly Parke

Parke, an adjunct faculty member in the Schulich School of Business in the MBA program, has worked in the media industry for more than 30 years. As a technical producer and videographer he has worked with most of the major television networks in North America and with the BBC. In the entertainment sector he has worked on projects with the Rolling Stones, Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant and many other celebrities. In the sports world, he continues to be a videographer for many major league sports, as well as the Olympics.

Bob McKenzie

McKenzie has taught media production, delivered media storytelling seminars and served as producer/director for several broadcast, promotional and informational videos across North America for more than 35 years. As director of media for Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, he was instrumental in transitioning their distance and hybrid learning systems from satellite to live and on-demand video streaming utilizing a "flipped" classroom model of blended learning. For the last three decades, he has been a media producer/manager with 91��ɫ’s Instructional Technology & Learning Technology Services, working with faculty, students and staff to share their stories and ideas utilizing various media designs and techniques.

David Gibson

Gibson has travelled the world, 15 countries and counting, lived on three different continents and worked on two of them. In addition to working at 91��ɫ, Gibson is the co-founder and producer of Riverlife Productions, where he produces music videos and short films, one of which was funded by Bravo! and played on MuchMusic.

The medal winners nominated by the RCI will be honoured at the RCI’s Gala dinner Thursday, April 26.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Six Faculty of Health professors honoured for excellence

fmaquito — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Six Faculty of Health professors were honoured for their outstanding contributions at a presentation of the 2010-2011 Dean’s Awards for Excellence last week.

An award is given to two faculty members, one in the early career category and another in the established career category, in the areas of research, service and teaching. The awards, which took place Sept. 14, are conferred annually by the Faculty of Health Research & Awards Committee.

“This year’s winners are joining a very illustrious group. Every year the committee is faced with a very difficult task because everyone nominated is quite deserving,” said Gordon Flett, who chaired the adjudication process. “The award itself is a great way of recognizing the outstanding accomplishments, as well as the exceptional commitments that our faculty members have made both within the Faculty of Health and in the broader community.”

Above: Back row, from left, William Gage, associate dean of research & innovation in 91��ɫ's Faculty of Health, Christine Jonas-Simpson, Dianne McCauley and Peter Tsasis. Front row, from left, Mary Wiktorowicz, Marcia Rioux, Mary Fox and Harvey Skinner, dean of the Faculty of Health

Excellence in Research Award (Early Career) – Professor Mary Fox (Nursing)

Fox was honoured for her research in the prevention of bed rest dependency in older adults with complex chronic disease. Fox has been recognized as having made significant contributions to her field. Her work has been critiqued by Canadian Institutions of Health Research (CIHR) peer reviewers as “very innovative”, “highly significant”, and “to be of interest nationally”. A recently funded grant by the CIHR ranked Fox’s application first out of 47, and place it in the outstanding category – the highest attainable category. In addition to serving as a professor in 91��ɫ’s School of Nursing, Fox is an Adjunct scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Fox said having her work recognized and knowing that her colleagues and students have taken the time to nominate her “means a lot.”

Excellence in Research Award (Established Career) – Professor Marcia Rioux (Health Policy & Management)

Rioux, a distinguished and internationally recognized scholar, has published 10 books and monographs, over 50 articles and book chapters, and as principle investigator has held nearly $18 million in research grants over the past 30 years. Her nominator describes her as a visionary leader who is changing the way disability is studied and responded to in the context of human rights and social empowerment.

Rioux said the award reflects a significant honour for her as does the support she has received from her colleagues throughout the University. “My work benefits from 91��ɫ’s rich intellectual environment and an international, interdisciplinary research agenda related to social justice and human rights.”

The award came just as her latest book, Critical Perspectives on Human Rights and Disability Law, an edited collection that recapitulates many of the themes of Rioux’s research, was published.

Excellence in Service Award (Early Career) – Professor Dianne McCauley (Nursing)

McCauley is described by her nominator as “an excellent student advocate, not only with individual students, but also, of the student body at large; the kind of solid citizen who makes the School of Nursing successful.”

“It is an honour to be recognized by my colleagues … my colleagues, staff and students have enabled me to be successful in my role and receive this award,” said McCauley.

Well known to faculty and students for her availability and supportiveness to students, McCauley has actively participated in a number of key nursing committees, including the Student Affairs Committee and the Practicum Committee. Since 2007, she has served as undergraduate program director of the Collaborative BScN Program in the School of Nursing.

Excellence in Service Award (Established Career) – Professor Mary Wiktorowicz (Health Policy & Management)

Wiktorowicz began her tenure as the chair of 91��ɫ’s School of Health Policy & Management in 2006, the inaugural year of the Faculty of Health. Her colleagues assert that under her leadership, enrolment to the school has almost quadrupled and applicant quality has significantly increased. Additionally, Wiktorowicz has led the development of several new undergraduate programs, and has guided the final stage of development and the launch of the new Graduate Health Program, which includes a pan-University MA and a direct-entry PhD in health.

In addition to her many outstanding accomplishments at the School of Health Policy & Management, Wiktorowicz has actively participated in many committees over the years, spanning across all levels of the University. She has been an integral part of the 91��ɫ Senate and likewise as the 91��ɫ representative for the Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services & Policy Research. Wiktorowicz has also made a sustained contribution to service at the national and provincial levels. Her recent work on the governance of mental health networks has recently been adopted by the Ontario Local Health Integration Networks Collaborative.

When asked what service means to her, Wiktorowicz said, “Service is like planting a seed, and it takes more than a single individual’s contribution to create a beautiful garden. There are amazing people in the school who each day sow the seeds of success. Good things happen when we all contribute. Being recognized among such an exceptional group of colleagues makes this a particular honour.”

Excellence in Teaching Award (Early Career) – Professor Christine Jonas-Simpson (Nursing)

Jonas-Simpson, who says she “loves to teach,” describes her pedagogy as “reflective of an arts-based narrative interpretive human science approach.” Instructor evaluation scores in nursing typically average 3.8 out of 5. Jonas-Simpson’s instructor evaluation scores are consistently 4.88 or 4.99 out of 5. Her students write, “Christine is by far the most caring, understanding, adaptable teacher I’ve ever had. She let us shape our class to suit our learning,” and “Christine epitomizes the human science philosophy that the program subscribes to by valuing her students’ experiences and being truly present with them.”

Jonas-Simpson has created engaging teaching tools through research-documentary films in collaboration with her colleagues from 91��ɫ and the community at large. She and her research colleagues have recently received Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada funding to begin filming the fourth research documentary in a series of inter-professional educational pieces focusing on children’s experiences of the loss of a baby sibling.

Excellence in Teaching Award (Established Career) – Professor Peter Tsasis (Health Policy & Management and Administrative Studies)

Tsasis, who is appointed jointly to the School of Health Policy & Management and the School of Administrative Studies, teaches various disciplines. A nominator remarked, “It is rare to find an individual that can span his teaching across the spectrum of disciplines and deliver exceptional teaching performance.” Tsasis stretches his teaching beyond the lecture hall, mentoring many students in the Research at 91��ɫ program. In 91��ɫ’s Alumni Matters newsletter, one student remarked, “working with Professor Tsasis was one of the best experiences I will ever have in my life.” In one of four letters of support, a student said, “Dr. Tsasis has unequivocally been the best professor I have had.”

Most recently, Tsasis has undertaken an initiative to negotiate with community health service organizations internship placements for students registered in a fourth-year Health Studies Project Management course, giving students the opportunity for enriching field experience. He has also helped to create a new certificate program in Health Service Finance offered jointly by the School of Health Policy & Management and the School of Administrative Studies. This program is designed to provide students with the opportunity for fast-track entry into the certified management accountant designation, while providing a skill set much in need in the health-care industry.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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