TRU presented its annual merit awards and years of service awards April 20, 2016.
About 200 colleagues and supporters attended the ceremony held in the Grand Hall.
Recipients are as follows:
Award for Excellence in Scholarship
Dr. Wendy Hulko
Faculty of Education and Social Work
Wendy Hulko
Wendy is a Social Work faculty member and has been with TRU since 2004. Using her voice and standing in academia, Wendy is an advocate for equity-seeking groups like LGBTQ and older adults. She has successfully competed for research funding, receiving grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Vancouver Foundation, BC Medical Services Foundation, and Alzheimer’s Society of Canada. As a co-investigator and co-presenter she examined dementia in First Nations Elders, a project which resulted in a Secwepemc children’s storybook and DVD. Serving as coordinator of the Aging and Health Research Centre from 2005-2010, she championed interdisciplinary research and collaboration between faculty from across campus, including social work, nursing and sociology. She uses traditional and non-traditional means—from journals and textbooks to Twitter and YouTube—to disseminate her work.
Excellence in Internationalization Award
Dr. Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham
Faculty of Science
Ann Cheeptham
A faculty member in Biological Sciences, Ann has worked at TRU since 2002. Receiving her PhD and MSc from Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan and her BSc from Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has given her an international perspective and a love of cultures that she wants for her students. She supports and creates intercultural learning experiences, from participation in IDays to Study Abroad and programs like Japan’s MEXT. She encourages and inspires students to apply for graduate studies in other countries, and routinely weaves her international experiences and insights into her teaching. She has helped bring international visitors to campus, spearheaded MOUs with Chiang Mai University in 2005, and Hokkaido University in 2015, and collaborates on papers and projects with scholars around the world. An active researcher, Ann encourages her students to pursue projects with global implications.
Teaching Excellence Award, Open Learning Faculty Member
Elliott Musicar
Open Learning
Elliott has been an Open Learning faculty member for 17 years. He completed his MSW at the University of New York at Buffalo, BEd from the University of Toronto and his BA at York University. With more than 40 years of social work experience behind his teaching position, Elliott brings the readings and discussions to life with context and history. Fully understanding that distance students lead busy lives outside of their studies, he responds to their questions and provides feedback on their papers in a timely manner. With a philosophy of investing the time needed to be there for students, Elliott has found the right balance of being professional, patient and courteous. His supportiveness and flexibility come through in his correspondence and the successes of his students.
