The University of Windsor is made richer by the leadership shown by its faculty and staff, president Robert Gordon said Monday at a reception celebrating recipients of its Employee Recognition Awards.

“Our employees are the hard-working creative engine that keeps our University running,” he told a capacity crowd in the Alumni Auditorium. “It’s your creative commitment to the challenges we face that really does make a difference.”

Jennifer Almeida, part of the Print Shop team honoured with a service excellence award, said on behalf of her co-workers that the acknowledgement made them feel appreciated.

“It feels good,” she said. “A lot of our job is being problem-solvers for our clients. We all find great satisfaction in what we do.”

Chemistry professors Tricia Carmichael and James Gauld won the Impact Award for their work to host Canada’s first conference dedicated to supporting members of the LGBTQ+ communities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.

Dr. Gauld said he felt impressed by the contributions of all the award winners: “There are so many fantastic people here doing so much.”

Both said the recognition of their project  the University’s commitment to inclusion.

“Recognizing the work we put in the conference is really meaningful,” said Dr. Carmichael. “It’s 2020 – it’s time for us to step up and be leaders.”

Rita LaCivita, vice-president of human resources, thanked the award recipients for their passion and commitment to making the University of Windsor the best place to work, learn, and grow. She read excerpts from their nominations to highlight the outstanding contributions of each honoree:

• Service Excellence Award (Individual) – Michelle Fitzgerald, administrator of international and exchange student services in the International Student Centre, and Beverley Hamilton, academic initiatives officer in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic;
• Service Excellence Award (the First Five Years of Employment) – Jessica Hatt, secretary in the Faculty of Law;
• Service Excellence Award (Team) – reprographic operators Almeida and Scott Thorpe, and Luc Quenneville reprographic/WordPro operator in the Print Shop;
• Excellence in Leadership Award – Lisa Porter, executive director, Windsor Health Institute;
• Excellence in Health and Safety Award – Lucy Howe, make lab technician in the School of Creative Arts;
• “U” Make a Difference Award – Andrew Jenner, manager of technical support in the Faculty of Engineering;
• Impact Award – Carmichael and Gauld, co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ in STEM Conference.

Find more photos from the reception on the Human Resources website.