President's Awards a chance to celebrate community
President Vianne Timmons honoured the exceptional and exemplary at the 2022 President’s Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to our students, our university or our communities were recognized.
The ceremony is available for viewing below.
This year’s recipients follow below.
John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship
Dr. T.A. Loeffler, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, received the John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship.
The award, named for the first president of Memorial University College, recognizes faculty who embody the university’s mission by demonstrating exceptional teaching, undertaking world-class research and sharing their knowledge and expertise widely.
The award is comprised of the lifetime designation Distinguished University Professor and a one-time unrestricted grant ($20,000) to support future research, teaching and/or public engagement activities at Memorial University.
Outstanding Research
President’s Awards for Outstanding Research were awarded to Dr. Max Liboiron, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Carissa Brown, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr. Joshua Rash, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science.
This award recognizes young researchers who have made significant contributions to their scholarly disciplines.
University Research Professor
Dr. Kurt Gamperl, Department of Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science; Dr. Kelly Hawboldt Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; and Dr. Duncan McIlory, Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, and Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station, were honoured with the title University Research Professor, a designation above the rank of professor that goes to faculty members who demonstrate a consistently high level of scholarship and whose research is of a truly international stature.
Exceptional Community Service
The President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service was awarded to Dr. Dorothy Vaandering, Faculty of Education. This award is presented in recognition of employees (faculty or staff) who have demonstrated outstanding community service.
Outstanding Graduate Supervision
Dr. Duane Button, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, received the President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Supervision.
This award recognizes exemplary efforts to foster success in the research and scholarship of their graduate or postgraduate students and to advance their students’ success in their profession.
Outstanding Teaching (Faculty)
Dr. David Churchill, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, received the President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Faculty), awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching and engagement in educational leadership, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff)
Ashley Crane, Faculty of Nursing, received the President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (Lecturers and Instructional Staff), awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching and engagement in educational leadership, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Exemplary Service
Among those receiving President’s Awards for Exemplary Employees were the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) with the Team Memorial Award; Dr. Rick Goulding, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, Faculty of Science, Champion of Service; Yellow Martin, Psychology; and Kara Strickland, Research Innovation Office.
Public Engagement Partnerships
The President’s Awards for Public Engagement Partnerships celebrate exemplary community-university collaborations that are in keeping with the goals of Memorial’s Public Engagement Framework. Up to two awards are offered annually for partnerships between one or more students, staff and/or faculty members and an organization or group from outside Memorial.
This year, the President’s Award for Public Engagement Partnerships was awarded to the Phoenix Garden Project, a collaboration between volunteers from Memorial University and the John Howard Society with staff, administration and “inside gardeners” at His Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s.
MUNPA Tribute Awards
Earlier in the week, the president also recognized retirees who received a MUN Pensioners Association (MUNPA) Tribute Award.
At a ceremony hosted by President Timmons on Nov. 28, 2022 recipients were recognized, as well as 2020 recipients who were unable to attend a ceremony due to the pandemic. There were no recipients in 2021.
The 2022 MUNPA Tribute Award recipients are Gerald Anderson, retired from the Marine Institute in 2018, and Anne Sinnott, retired from Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, in 2016.
The 2020 MUNPA Tribute Award recipients are Dr. Adrian Tanner, retired from the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, in 2004, and Marlene Rayner-Canham, retired from the Department of Physics, Grenfell Campus, in 2004.