Awards and recognition Archive
UFV celebrates 2021 long-service employees
It's a big year for employment milestones at UFV. More than 100 employees (109 to be exact) are celebrating a significant work anniversary this year. Congratulations to all those marking a 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35-year anniversary of employment at UFV in 2021. (Sorry we could not find a photo of everyone. Note:…Staff Excellence 2021: Shelley Hayes found the perfect job and
Shelley Hayes is a country girl at heart. She spent a lot of time at her grandparents’ dairy farm on Fairfield Island in Chilliwack growing up, and always had horses. Hayes graduated from Office Careers (now Applied Business Technology) in 1982 and worked several jobs at Fraser Valley College (as it was known then) before…Faculty Service Excellence 2021: Satwinder Bains’ impact is mighty at
A visionary leader with an unshakable commitment to equality and cultural justice, Dr. Satwinder Bains is the 2021 recipient of UFV’s Faculty Service Excellence Award. “As a woman of colour, not only is she smashing glass ceilings of patriarchy within academia, but also in conservative cultural spaces,” says Anita Lal, co-founder and director of the…Teaching Excellence 2021 — Awneet Sivia: education must be centred
There were two key experiences early in the teaching career of 2021 UFV Teaching Excellence award recipient Awneet Sivia that defined her approach to her profession. One was accepting a job in Merritt, BC, in 1988, for her first teaching post. The student body was a diverse representation of Indigenous, White, and South Asian backgrounds.…Teamwork Excellence award 2021: IT Service Desk provides essential support
By Gerald Narciso In early spring of 2020, as the world shifted and adapted in real-time to the continuous effects of the global pandemic, the IT Service Desk team started a new ritual to deal with the madness. Every day at 3 pm, the entire team consisting of eight team members would huddle -- a…Research Excellence award 2021: Scott Sheffield recognized for his contribution
Dr. Scott Sheffield was at a payphone in France in the mid-1990s when he made a spur-of-the-moment decision that would not only change the course of his career over the next quarter century, but would bring much needed global awareness to the historical contributions of Indigenous communities to the Second World War in Canada and…Leadership award 2021: Nicole Adams provided smiles and accounting excellence
Nicole Adams’ stellar career in accounting and finance happened almost by accident. She was working an entry-level position at Vancouver’s Science World in the 1990s when her boss noticed her talent for numbers and immediately saw her potential. She moved Adams, who had previously worked in banking (where she thought her future lay), into the…Olav Lian to speak March 2 in Science Talks series
A UFV professor who has devoted his career to looking at long-term change through examining soil samples will be presenting in the Science Talks community lecture series on March 2. Catch Dr. Olav Lian speaking on the topic From the Last Ice Age to 2021 and Beyond -- how our physical environment has adapted to…Teacher who makes a difference receives Betty Urquhart Community Service
Nerlap Sidhu is a teacher who believes her role extends beyond the classroom. She’s a dedicated volunteer, community engager, and change-maker, whose commitment to improving society has earned her the Betty Urquhart Community Service Award. Sidhu, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at UFV in 2004, teaches at Eugene Reimer Middle School in Abbotsford.…Nominate someone great!
Nominate someone great! At UFV, we believe in honouring excellence and recognizing outstanding achievement and service. To do so, we need your help in the form of nominations. Let us know who deserves to be recognized! UFV is currently seeking nominations for the following awards and honours in the categories of Faculty Excellence. Faculty Excellence…Governor General’s Silver Medal — Shanna Yaroshuk: Child and Youth
Shanna Yaroshuk started out her career in the early childhood education field, and looked to the University of the Fraser Valley when she wanted to continue her studies. “I enjoyed working with children but decided to expand my horizons and go beyond the childcare centre setting.” She enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Child…Governor General’s Gold Medal — Kelly Ridder: interest in youth
Kelly Ridder knows a thing or two about juggling priorities. She balanced a full-time job in the human services field with studies toward a Master of Social Work degree over the past 20 months, and with being a mother to six children between the ages of 13 and 25, all still living at home in…Research Excellence Award 2020: Robert Harding is recognized for his
Three decades ago, in a different life, professional actor Robert Harding sat with a friend — one of New Zealand's top Maori actors — watching a news report showing Indigenous peoples protesting Columbus Day on New York City streets. "Pete turned to me, and said, 'What're the Indians so upset about, mate?'" Harding recalls. "When…Teaching Excellence: student-centred, community-focused approach brings results for Joanna Sheppard
The world is a classroom for Joanna Sheppard. From September to April, she teaches kinesiology at UFV, utilizing classrooms, gyms, fields, and hallways as sites for instruction. It’s not unusual to see her students setting up PE style games on the greenspace on campus, or walking to the nearby gym carrying hula hoops. Then every…UFV celebrates faculty and staff excellence with awards
Every spring, UFV celebrates the achievements of its faculty and staff by conferring excellence awards in a number of categories. This year is no exception. Although the ceremony honouring them has had to be postponed due to COVID-19, UFV is proud to recognize the following excellence awards recipients: Faculty Service Excellence: Gerry Palmer, Business Leadership:…2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Jason Beck turned a chance
Jason Beck thought farming was his destiny. An Abbotsford boy born and bred, as a teenager he assumed that his future was literally in his backyard, working on his family’s farm. “That was my plan,” Beck, 39, says before quickly clarifying. “Well, it wasn’t even a plan, it’s just what I thought was going to…2021 Young Distinguished Alumni recipient Sheetal Deo leveraging a career
Sheetal Deo (BA ’12) was the kind of undergraduate student who would take electives in the summertime as a way to relax and hang out with friends. That’s a good thing, because it helped her discover her love for philosophy, political science, and social justice. Deo, who earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University…Telling her truth — Pursuing her passion leads to success
Jasmin Kaur’s imagination is taking her places. From her bedroom office in Abbotsford she is living the life of a twice-published author and worldwide influencer. Her novel If I Tell You The Truth, is interspersed with poetry and tells the story of Kiran, an international student who stays illegally in Canada to raise a baby…History grad turns passion into a prestigious international essay award
Michaela Sapielak always had an affinity for buildings. Not just any buildings, but heritage ones in particular. When she looked up at the ceiling of her grade school, Dunach Elementary in Abbotsford, as a 9-year-old, she marvelled at the towering ceilings and craftsmanship of the now-defunct 19th century structure. “There’s just something about old buildings…Lieutenant Governor’s Medal: Faria Firoz uses art to advocate for
Faria Firoz has only lived in Canada for five years, but she is already making a difference by using her art to communicate about social issues. As she graduates with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UFV, she is one of four artists featured in the Black Lives Matter Social Justice art project that…Governor General’s Silver Medal: Numbers add up to award for
It’s somewhat fitting, at least this year, that the decision of who receives the Governor General’s Silver Medal comes down to numbers. This prestigious academic medal goes to the student graduating from a bachelor’s degree program at UFV with the highest grade-point average. And for 2021, that status goes to Tanner Boos, who is graduating…Governor General’s gold medal 2021: Ryan Buhrig expands his understanding
Even as a child, the intricacies of law have always appealed to Ryan Buhrig. So, when it was time to pinpoint a career, it was no surprise which field he would pursue. The only question left was: which direction of law would serve his greatest purpose? As an undergraduate student at the University of British…Governor General’s bronze medal 2021: Through trial and error, Alona
Late last month, Alona Gurieva was at home in Langley when she received an unexpected email. It was from Christina Slavik, the department head of Child, Youth, and Family Studies at UFV, letting Gurieva know that she was the recipient of the 2021 Governor General’s Bronze Medal at the University of the Fraser Valley, awarded…Honorary degreee 2021: Cathy Press’s success proves the sky’s no
Some kids spend their days on the playgrounds or sports fields, but Cathy Press grew up in the skies. Her childhood memories in the Lower Mainland consist of her being in a floatplane, side by side with her father, a retired commercial pilot. Together, they would take impromptu expeditions to remote places like Garibaldi Lake…Honorary degree 2021: Andrée Cazabon uses film to turn pain
It began in the basement of her childhood home. For Andrée Cazabon, the magic of film and the world of visual storytelling bloomed in a makeshift cinema. Cazabon was seven years old living on the outskirts of Ottawa when her father put on the classic French Canadian animated short The Hockey Sweater on the 16mm…Honorary degree 2021 — Roméo Dallaire: a courageous champion for
As a highly decorated veteran, courageous champion for mental health, and passionate advocate against exposing children to the horrors of war, Roméo Dallaire is an inspiration to multiple generations across the world. For this and much more, Dallaire is being awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of the Fraser Valley in…UFV honorary degree 2021: Chamberlain honoured for advocacy for LGBTQ+
When James Chamberlain was a youth attending school in Abbotsford, he didn’t see himself reflected. Not in the books he was assigned to read, the teachers who guided his education, or in his interactions with his fellow students. “School was difficult and a lonely place for me,” he recalls. “I was targeted with homophobic bullying by my peers…