Nic Armstrong * Manager, Undergraduate Recruitment & Education Faculty of Science Nic ...

27 Pages·2014·0.11 MB·English

by  Scott Koblyk

Nic Armstrong *
Manager, Undergraduate Recruitment & Education
Faculty of Science

Nic Armstrong has been the manager of undergraduate recruitment & education for the
Faculty of Science for five years, leadings the faculty’s undergraduate recruitment and
helping students navigate into their senior years of study. During his tenure,
applications to the faculty have risen by almost 8% and undergraduate enrolment is up
approximately 10%, due in part to Nic’s irrepressible personality and his use of digital
media to connect with students and prospective students.

Nic developed the popular Spotlight on Science video series to raise the faculty’s profile
and he is the face of the faculty at most recruitment events. He created the START
video, an online tool to help new students with registration that was so successful it
made the process more efficient and inspired similar efforts in other faculties. Nic also
produced an equally successful video guide to introduce faculty to the new online grade
submission system.

To increase student retention, Nic initiated a process that engaged all Level 1 Science
instructors and helped inspire the highest student retention rates in recent faculty
history. The program is now a permanent practice. Nic has also taken a lead role in
implementing student Journey Planners in collaboration with the McMaster Institute
for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching & Learning, the Science Media Lab, an
external supplier and a number of faculty and students.

A prolific networker, Nic actively supports the McMaster Science Society and has built
strong connections with the Science Teachers of Ontario and the Bay Area Science and
Engineering Fair.

*Denotes 2013 Award Recipient
Jennifer Caruk
Coordinator, Academic Appointments and Records
Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Jennifer Caruk joined the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) in 2012,
becoming a full-time member of the team a year later. As the first point of contact for
official academic employment offers from the University, she is not only the face of
McMaster for new faculty recruits, but she also manages a complex and sensitive
process according to the highest standards of professionalism and customer service.

As the person responsible for the preparation and dissemination of high-level position
offers and for tenure- and promotion-related correspondence for everything from
visiting professors to academic appointments and senior administrative positions
(including department chairs and institute directors), Jennifer must be remarkably
aware of timing and accuracy. She developed an online version of a system that used to
run on registered mail and that new approach has greatly reduced the timeline for
onboarding new faculty and has been particularly beneficial in recruiting international
candidates.

Jennifer is not only highly efficient, but the quality of her communication with
candidates is outstanding as evidenced in everything from the composition of offer
letters to her direct interaction with prospective new members of the McMaster family.
She has taken responsibility for the complex hiring processes and built procedures that
ensure the accurate tracking of each stage of the process and a swift responsiveness to
the urgent and time-sensitive situations that inevitably arise.
Alison Cowie*
Instructional Assistant
Department of Biology

Alison Cowie has been a member of the McMaster community since 1989 and she joined
the Department of Biology as an instructional assistant in 2007. Her impact on the
student experience and the development of high-quality research opportunities in
undergraduate courses since that time has been extraordinary. She helped lead the
development of blended-learning courses and is the key person guaranteeing the quality
of the student experience in courses like Biology 1A03 and 2B03.

As the instructional assistant with the largest course load in the department, Alison is
responsible for more than 900 students, yet she maintains her direct personal
involvement in ensuring that all learning systems are functional and effective. Alison is
also one of the most innovative course designers in the Department of Biology and
played key roles in the redesign of Biology 1A03 and the successful Forward With
Integrity proposal to redesign the first-year labs into a research-focused approach.

Alison co-chairs the Health and Safety Committees for both the Faculty of Science and
the Department of Biology. She has a strong influence on the program curriculum
through the Biology Undergraduate Committee and plays a key role in the Biology
Undergraduate Symposium (BUS), an exciting student research venue. Alison has
served as a judge for Ontario Biology Day (2007 and 2013) and Biology Graduate Day.

A regular volunteer for Faculty of Science events like May@Mac and Fall Preview, Alison
also helps advise students at the What to Do in Level 2 event.

*Denotes 2013 Award Recipient
Justyna Derkach*
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Department of Chemical Engineering

Justyna Derkach has been part of the Department of Chemical Engineering for more
than 25 years, currently running the senior-level undergraduate teaching labs. She is a
constant innovator whose work adds quality, enhances safety and provides variety in
lab-based experiments. In addition to maintaining the hardware and designing new
teaching labs, Justyna also trains graduate student teaching assistants and works
directly with undergraduate students for many experiments. She works constantly to
enhance the quality of the labs by adding new experiments and modifying existing ones
to increase the experiment flexibility and provide students with a more self-directed
learning experience.

As part of the department’s outreach program to high schools, Justyna developed a
hands-on experiment that involves students in measuring liquid flow rates. Thousands
of students have participated in this program with many eventually returning to
McMaster as undergraduate students inspired by their experience with Justyna.

Justyna is an extremely active volunteer on campus who was the Volunteer of the Month
in March 2012. She is part of the organizing committee for Inspiring from Within, the
employee professional development conference; a member of the Healthy Workplace
Group; the worker certified member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee for the
Faculty of Engineering; and the co-chair of the Chemical Engineering Departmental
Safety Committee. She also has a strong interest in supporting students from diverse
communities, most notably by leading lab tours for students from Cayuga and Mohawk
immersion schools and the Globe Youth Centre for refugee and immigrant youth.

*Denotes 2013 Award Recipient
Cam Fisher
Industry Liaison & Manager, Green Auto Power Train
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Cam Fisher is the industry liaison for the Centre for Mechatronics and Hybrid
Technologies (CMHT) and the manager of Green Auto Power Train. He was the link
between McMaster researchers and the contractors during the planning and
construction of the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) and he has
successfully engaged several automotive industry partners in MARC’s work. McMaster is
now the only university in Canada involved in a large powertrain project with BMW.
When MARC initially opened, Cam dedicated himself to leading visitor tours and
organizing the first MARC Winter Social – an event to bring the occupants of the new
building together to mingle and learn about the centre’s diverse research areas. Cam
has also volunteered to co-chair the Joint Health and Safety Committee for MARC. He
participates in the research managers’ networking group, a forum for managers of
multi-institutional research programs that facilitates the exchange of information and
experiences.

When he is not playing a keystone role in the development of a new $23 million facility,
Cam is an accomplished project manager who has responsibility for the design and
commissioning of automotive test cells. He has developed a strong relationship with
other partners in the Green Auto project, including three other universities and industry
partners such as DV Electronics, Ford and BMW. Cam has also played a key role in
implementing the Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Power Train Theme of the Ontario Research
Fund-Research Excellence (ORF-RE) Green Auto program.
Diane Gauthier
Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Organization of Palliative Care Physician
Services/Enhancements (HOPE) Manager
Department of Family Medicine

Diane Gauthier is the manager of HOPE – a program consisting of the palliative care
physician AFP (Alternate Funding Plan) for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant
Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN). HOPE is affiliated with the Division of
Palliative Care and is administered through the Department of Family Medicine. It was
Diane’s goal to create a community of practice for HNHB palliative care doctors and the
result is that HOPE has improved information flow and collaboration throughout the
LHIN. By dedicating herself to constant self-evaluation and improvement, Diane has
raised not only her own level of performance, but the impact of HOPE which is now the
face of palliative care physicians and a recognized community resource.

Diane looks for creative ways to use limited physician resources to meet the needs of the
community. For example, she led HOPE through a “diverging / converging”
brainstorming exercise to facilitate innovative models of delivering palliative care. She
also built strong partnerships with key stakeholders including the End of Life Care
Network, Hamilton Health Sciences and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Diane brings great sensitivity to her work and has established a supportive and
considerate working style for HOPE. She also volunteers a significant amount of time to
HOPE beyond her basic duties while also supporting the Department of Family Medicine
as its representative on the Health and Safety Committee and contributing to the overall
McMaster community as a facilitator with the Certificate in Advanced Leadership &
Management (CALM) course.
Chris Henderson*
AV/IT Specialist
Computer Services Unit

Chris Henderson has worked at McMaster University since 2009 as an AV/IT specialist
located at the Niagara Regional Campus. He played a vital role in moving the home of
the Niagara Regional Campus from the St. Catharines General Hospital to the Cairns
Family Health & Bioscience Research Complex in 2012. He managed the challenging
overlap of administrative structures at the hospital and then played a key role in
establishing McMaster at the new complex. He was responsible for tangible details like
the installation, testing and operation of workstations and smartboards while also
playing a role in establishing strong relationships with Brock University and the Niagara
Health System.

Chris’ attention to detail ensured that contractors provided work that met all key
standards and he took personal responsibility for delivering on the seemingly small but
actually important details that make space transitions successful – things like
establishing an electronic notice board, ensuring lockers were properly designed and
adding an appropriate door system to the computer lab.

The server-based computer network Chris delivered allows Niagara-based staff, students
and faculty to log in to any computer terminal and access their own desktops. This
approach was so successful that plans are underway to replicate the system for Hamilton
and Waterloo. Not content to rely on systems, Chris also works hard to enhance
information flow between the Niagara and Hamilton campuses, thus ensuring a highly
coordinated approach for all locations. Students know that Chris is always available –
often after hours – to assist with their technical needs.

*Denotes 2013 Award Recipient
Tanya Kett
Student Success Advisor
Student Success Centre

Tanya Kett joined the Student Success Centre as a career advisor in 2008 and is now a
student success advisor who, in cooperation with eight student success assistants, is the
first person to connect with students who visit the centre. Her quality of service and
quick access to useful information make her invaluable to both student clients and to
the centre itself.

Tanya displays great attention to detail, timelines and consistency while constantly
working to build her community and University contacts and knowledge. She has
played an active role in connecting faculty advisors to the Student Success Centre in
order to build coordinated and complementary student services. She was instrumental
in establishing a service structure that allows the centre to be nimble and responsive to
student needs. Resulting innovations include the initiation of drop-in clinics for
students and the development and delivery of an annual awareness and usage survey
that quantified and qualified the centre’s service delivery. Tanya was also instrumental
in refining the service delivery model and implementing the triaging of student
inquiries to enhance efficiency.

Tanya is a frequent presenter to large student groups, encouraging them to consider
future career choices and prepare appropriately for making those choices. Her work
includes connecting with students in groups both small and large to enhance interview
skills, decision making, resumé writing, professional school applications and
networking skills, just to name a few. Tanya’s ultimate goal is always to provide
McMaster’s students with the information that will help them make the successful
transition from university to their professional lives.
David McIsaac*
Custodial
Facility Services

David McIsaac is once again the custodian of Divinity College, a position he had held
previously, but left briefly to work in the David Braley Athletic Centre. The faculty, staff
and students at the college are thrilled to have him back. While the Divinity College
building is charming but modest, the facility routinely receives excellent ratings from
event and conference evaluations because of David’s work. Visitors almost always
comment on the clean halls, shining floors and spotless washrooms.

For special events, David ensures that everything is prepared before and after the event
so normal activities are not disrupted. For the annual convocation ceremony, David
buffs and polishes the floors and cleans the building to an even higher standard. In
fact, the high shine on the floors is not just the result of hard work, but also David’s
experimentation as he refines the best techniques for making 54-year-old floors look
brand new.

David’s contributions to Divinity College go beyond the building. He has established a
rapport with most Divinity College students and he displays a professional but warm
manner when, for example, asking people to leave at the close of the building. As a
show of their appreciation, the students invited David to their annual Christmas dinner
as their guest and last year David even went out into a snowstorm to buy food when the
weather delayed the caterer.

Finally, David is a dedicated volunteer, particularly in working with international
students to improve their English language skills.

*Denotes 2013 Award Recipient
Jennifer Meister
Academic Skills Program Coordinator
Student Success Centre

In the time Jennifer Meister has been an academic skills program coordinator with the
Student Success Centre, she has implemented research-based programming and services
that help to enhance students’ communication and presentation skills as well as their
ability to understand and analyze information. The 12 to 15 student mentors she trains
and supervises annually do great work in extending the impact of these programs.

Jennifer developed the online orientation tool SOAR (Summer Orientation for Academic
Readiness) which provides a variety of tools and perspectives that help supply
information, offer reassurance and better prepare incoming students for a successful
and rewarding McMaster experience.

During Welcome Week, Jennifer organizes sessions that introduce students to the
academic expectations and required skills for university-level scholarship. That
approximately a quarter of first-year students elect to participate in these sessions is a
strong indication of the need for such a program. On a day-to-day basis, Jennifer
coordinates workshops and individual appointments for nearly 2,000 students every year
and she is a sought-after partner in supporting students involved across campus,
particularly student-athletes and residence leaders.

Jennifer created popular and important targeted workshop “boot camps” to respond to
the acute student needs at key points in the academic calendar. She also has a strong
track record of providing multi-faceted support to participants in her academic skills
and English-language learner (ELL) programs, even strengthening support networks
and community connections through social activities.