President’s Awards recognize employees’ outstanding contributions

“McMaster colleagues, friends and families filled L.R. Wilson Hall last week as the community gathered to celebrate the President’s Awards for Outstanding Service. This year, 11 individuals and teams received awards, from a field of 37 nominees. Presented by President and Vice-Chancellor Susan Tighe, the awards shine a spotlight on those who work behind the scenes and beyond the spotlight. Whether they’re supporting students, improving services or fostering collaboration across campus, these individuals and teams exemplify operational excellence and a deep commitment to meaningful impact. Here are this year’s award recipients. Visit the Human Resources website for their bios and the full list of nominees. Tyler Ackland | Digital Technical Specialist, Electrical & Computer Engineering Since joining McMaster in 2007, Ackland has played a critical role in delivering hands-on engineering education, supporting hundreds of students each term by ensuring complex lab environments operate reliably, safely, and effectively. Known for his technical expertise and proactive problem-solving, Ackland maintained uninterrupted lab delivery for years and repaired hundreds of student lab kits during the pandemic to support remote learning. Through innovation, dedication, and exceptional service, Ackland has had a lasting impact on student success and has strengthened McMaster’s reputation as a leader in experiential engineering education. Colleen Ballagh | Administrative Coordinator, Obstetrics & Gynecology Since joining McMaster in 2019, Ballagh has become a key leader within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. During a period of significant transition, she stepped forward to provide continuity, assumed responsibilities beyond her role, and ensured that education, clinical, and administrative functions continued with minimal disruption. Ballagh has strengthened departmental culture through inclusive staff recognition initiatives and has successfully led major academic events that support research excellence and student engagement. Jodi-Anne Buckley | Manager, Co-Curricular & Student Engagement, Faculty of Engineering Buckley has made a profound impact on student success, equity, and belonging within the Faculty of Engineering. Since joining McMaster in 2021, she has advanced through progressively influential roles, consistently delivering innovative, student-centred programming that supports career readiness and engagement. Buckley founded the Black Outreach STEM Series, creating culturally relevant programming that has engaged thousands of youth and earned national recognition. Her work continues to enhance McMaster’s reputation as a leader in inclusive education and student engagement. Charissa Hu | Immigration and Mobility Advisor, Student Success Centre, Student Affairs Hu has provided exceptional support to McMaster’s international student community through extraordinary expertise, compassion, and leadership. For a period, she served as the university’s sole immigration advisor, supporting more than 6,000 students through complex and evolving regulations. Through ethical advising, advocacy, and care, Charissa has enhanced student success while strengthening McMaster’s reputation as a trusted, responsible, and globally minded university. Nicole Knibb | Senior Educator, Academic & Professional Engagement, McMaster Museum of Art Knibb has made a profound and lasting contribution to interdisciplinary education, community engagement and inclusive pedagogy at McMaster University. As co-creator and steward of The Art of Seeing, she has helped thousands of learners develop observation, empathy and reflective practice skills through arts-based education. Knibb expanded access to programming during the pandemic and continues to champion inclusive, decolonial approaches to learning. Nicole Martin-Enlund | Academic Department Manager, Indigenous Studies Martin-Enlund has played a key role in establishing and supporting the Indigenous Studies Department at McMaster. Since joining the university in 2023, she has led the development of departmental systems, governance, and budgets while supporting the launch and growth of a new Master of Arts program. Her collaborative leadership and commitment to relationship-building have strengthened Indigenous Studies and fostered welcoming spaces for students, faculty, staff and community members. Beverley Pindar-Donick | Director of Administration, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences Over a remarkable 40-year career at McMaster, Pindar-Donick has demonstrated extraordinary dedication, leadership, and impact. A champion of equity and inclusion, she co-developed a nationally recognized Anti-Black Racism and Critical Race Education e-learning course that has been adopted by universities and hospitals across Canada and earned international recognition for excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion. Widely respected for her integrity, fairness and advocacy, Pindar-Donick has had a lasting influence on staff, faculty and learners while helping shape a more inclusive culture across the university and beyond. Madeline Van Impe | Assistant Director, Planning & Administration, Wilson College of Leadership & Civic Engagement Van Impe has been instrumental in building Wilson College from its earliest stages, providing strategic and operational leadership to support its growth and success. She has developed systems, partnerships and resources that strengthen academic programs, research and community engagement initiatives. Known for her collaborative approach and ability to connect academic and administrative priorities, Van Impe has helped establish a strong foundation for Wilson College while enhancing student and community experiences. Team Award: Graduate Support Payment System Optimization Project The Graduate Support Payment System Optimization Team led a major institutional transformation to modernize how graduate student funding is administered. By redesigning a process responsible for approximately 21,500 annual payments totaling nearly $40 million, the team improved efficiency, data integrity and transparency while reducing administrative burden across the university. Their work addressed longstanding challenges for graduate students and created a more reliable and predictable funding experience. Through collaboration and innovation, the team strengthened operational excellence and student-centred service at McMaster. Team members: Helen Chen, Radmila Cucuz, Stacey Farkas, Wendy Green, Kim Finlay, Babu James, Michelle Jubinville, Ernie Latif, Shirley Marshall, Vishw Mewada, Amanda Morgan, Lara Ojebiyi, Nishaan Parbhoo, Sharon Patry, Sam Petryk, Loverna Robinson, Mark Rumbles, Laura Side, Darren Simpson, Paul Smith, Natalie Taylor, Aba Wadden, Jesse Wilson Team Award: Operational Excellence Forum Organizing Team The Operational Excellence Forum Organizing Team created and delivered McMaster’s first Operational Excellence Forum, bringing together nearly 550 participants to share ideas, showcase improvement initiatives and foster collaboration across the university. Working on a voluntary basis, team members developed the event from the ground up, creating a platform that continues to support innovation, knowledge sharing, and responsible stewardship. The forum’s success has strengthened a culture of continuous improvement and reinforced McMaster’s reputation as a leader in operational excellence. Team members: Fatima Ansar, Amanda Baldwin, Liana Bontempo, Chantelle Campbell, Fernando Carneiro, Alex Coldwell, Andrea Foster, Holly Gibson, Laura Grisé, Christian Gundlack, Gregory Iarusso, Tamara Martin, Charlotte Miller, Paola Morrone, Allison Mullin, Britt Reifenstein, Sidrah Siddiqui, Drew Singer, Kristen Watts Special Achievement Award: Indigenous Marauder Identity Team The Indigenous Marauder Identity Team advanced reconciliation and Indigenous representation through the development of a new Indigenous Marauder logo created in partnership with Indigenous students, community members and artist Kyle Joedicke. Launched during a Truth and Reconciliation game day, the initiative combined storytelling, education and community engagement while generating significant visibility and support for Indigenous student initiatives. Grounded in extensive consultation and cultural accountability, the project created a lasting symbol of Indigenous presence and belonging within the McMaster community. Team members: Mack Abbott, Jay Barlett, Eric Bourque, Tanisha Bryan, Seth Cabezas, Chrissy Doolittle, Keenan Jeppesen, T.J. Kelly, Luken Lawson, Maddy Lutes, Matthew Pohlmann, Brittany Reifenstein, Brittany Rumney, Natasha Symons The post President’s Awards recognize employees’ outstanding contributions appeared first on McMaster News .

Summary generated from the RSS feed of McMaster Daily News. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on news.mcmaster.ca.