UNews - President's Awards for Service Excellence

Recognizing recipients of the 2025 President's Award for Service Excellence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 May 2025 17:33:27 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President's Office is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the President's Awards for Service Excellence.

Corinne Steele (APO)

A longstanding financial leader in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Corinne Steele (BMgt ‘94), financial analyst, is the 2025 recipient of the President’s Award for Service Excellence (APO).

For nearly three decades, Steele has been a pillar of operational support at ULethbridge, expertly managing complex financial portfolios and offering strategic guidance to faculty, administrators and staff. Her work underpins nearly every aspect of academic life — from budgets and research accounts to space planning and faculty recruitment — and she does it all with professionalism, empathy and care.

Now supporting the Faculties of Arts & Science, Fine Arts and Liberal Education, Steele is widely respected for her practical insight and calm leadership. Her ability to navigate challenges, offer sound advice and make systems work better has made her an essential part of operations across campus.

Her work often happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt widely. Steele played a central role in transforming underused spaces — like the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall language lab — into vibrant, student-focused facilities. She has also supported infrastructure upgrades across Science Commons and helped secure essential research equipment and services for labs and teaching spaces. In all she does, Steele finds practical, cost-effective solutions that enhance academic life at every level.

One of her most notable contributions came in fall 2024, when a situation required faculty to rearrange their books and research materials in their offices. Steele took the lead on organizing and communicating the process but also went well beyond expectations — assisting faculty directly with packing, delivering bins and offering hands-on support. She coordinated a temporary “free library” for donated materials. Her efforts transformed a disruptive situation into one marked by clarity and community.

Steele’s quiet leadership, deep dedication and genuine kindness have shaped the day-to-day experience of countless colleagues. Her work reflects the best of what it means to serve a university community — with competence, compassion and a willingness to help.

Shamsuddin Mamun (AUPE)

Technician by title, innovator by nature, Shamsuddin Mamun (Mamun) has been awarded the 2025 President’s Award for Service Excellence (AUPE).

In his 14+ years as a member of the Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) team, Mamun has built a reputation for going above and beyond in any task he undertakes. Motivated by a genuine care for the animal species within the ARF and a deep commitment to supporting research, Mamun takes the initiative to identify and improve deficiencies in the facility. His contributions range from mechanical room revisions to installing UV and irrigation systems. A notable example of his creative thinking is the tank level alarm system he engineered for all holding tanks within the ARF. To ensure its success, Mamun enrolled in coding classes at ULethbridge and taught himself how to operate varying electronic systems. The result was a system that alerts staff of low water levels and performs automatic refills — an innovation that has since attracted interest from other institutions looking to implement the same system in their facilities.

Mamun’s impact extends beyond his technical expertise. His passion for supporting research projects across numerous departments has translated into a mentorship role for students and highly qualified personnel conducting research. He shares his expertise in equipment operation and maintenance, ensuring others can conduct their research with confidence.

His ability to innovate has positively impacted research projects, particularly in a study involving hatching rainbow trout. Despite the use of aquaculture grade hatching jars designed for trout eggs, high mortality rates threatened the viability of the project. Using supplies obtained from the Dollar Store and Home Depot, Mamun constructed new hatching jars, achieving a survival rate greater than 90 per cent, ensuring the study would have sufficient embryos to conduct research.

Mamun’s approach to problem-solving is characterized by his caring nature, creative thinking and passion for the success of the ARF. The first to step in during emergencies and after-hours duties, Mamun’s unwavering willingness exemplifies his selflessness and reliability. While his innovations have helped develop the ARF and greenhouse — often at a fraction of the expected cost — it is his consistent support and the trust he’s built with colleagues that will continue to have a lasting impact.

Calgary Campus Administrative Team (Team)

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to present the Calgary Campus Administrative Team with the President’s Award for Service Excellence (Team).

Over the past three years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Calgary Campus has undergone a remarkable transformation. From an enrolment of roughly 600 students, it has grown to over 1,000 — an unprecedented surge that has had a significant impact on daily operations. Rather than being overwhelmed by the challenge, the Calgary Campus team, including Calgary Campus manager, Kristin Galicia (BMgt ‘03), academic advisors Sydney McNally (BMgt ’10), Jessica Jones (BA/BMgt ’21) and Spencer Simkin (BMus ’16), international student advisor Brana Kumovic, Career Bridge advisor Emmanuel Akinlabe, learning specialist Zainab Yeekan, IT support Sean Good, administrative specialist Theresa Tran, office clerk Khushpreet (current ULethbridge student), wellness advisor Tiffanie Leal, recruiters Callum Hakin (BMgt ’22) and Hana Hubley (BMus ‘23) and international recruiter Jason Ng embraced it as a defining moment to shine.

Prior to 2022, most Calgary Campus students, often working professionals, preferred a “learn-and-leave” campus. With over half of the student population now made up of international learners navigating a new country and culture, the needs of learners have quickly diversified, requiring the implementation of additional services and supports. The team adapted with grace, empathy and resourcefulness.

Wearing many hats is now part of daily life on campus. The team has launched and sustained multiple new initiatives to meet the growing and diverse needs of students: a laptop lending program, a peer tutoring squad, a writing centre, new software to effectively manage student drop-in traffic and comprehensive instructor and student success guides. Social events like the Halloween Howler, Spring Carnival, winter tubing and Christmas Carols and Cookies have brought much-needed connection and joy to students far from home.

The launch of the ULethbridge International College Calgary in September 2024 added another layer of complexity. Though the addition of a new unit on campus added to the intricacy of operations and required the staff to pivot and problem solve, the Calgary Campus team welcomed this new group of students and staff with warmth and professionalism, setting a gold standard for partnership integration.

Through dedication, adaptability and teamwork, the Calgary Campus staff have elevated the ULethbridge experience and provided outstanding and customized service and support to the Calgary Campus’s diverse group of students. Their unwavering loyalty to the ULethbridge mission and values, willingness to innovate and refusal to let challenges dim their spirit make them truly deserving of recognition.

Recognizing the winners of the 2022 President's Awards for Service Excellence

caroline.zentner — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 19:44:34 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President's Office is pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of the President's Award for Service Excellence.

AUPE recipient — Rebecca Gray

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is extremely pleased to present the President’s Award for Service Excellence (AUPE) to Rebecca Gray, a student loan advisor with Scholarships & Student Finance.

Part mentor, part advocate and part cheerleader, Gray has consistently demonstrated an ability to tackle students’ loan challenges with compassion and resolve. As a student loan advisor for the past 10 years, Gray is the first person to greet visitors to the Scholarships & Student Finance office. With her quick British wit and keen sense of humour, she puts others at ease. Gray is well aware of the financial stressors students can face and she’s quick to offer both emotional and practical support.

As someone who believes finances should never be a barrier to education, Gray goes above and beyond to help students access the maximum funding available to them by finding sources of support they never thought possible. Rather than simply providing advice to students, she goes a step further to work on students’ behalf with government representatives and loan lenders. Gray’s ability to empathize, coupled with her vast knowledge of student finance options, makes her a highly valuable support for both students and the ULethbridge community.

In addition to her front-line work as a student loan advisor, Gray also worked with Information Technology staff to improve departmental operations, specifically the automated student loan confirmation process. Before being rebuilt, the process required many hours of manual labour by staff in Student Finance and the Cash Office. Gray’s knowledge of the inner workings of the current system were critical in the process.

In addition to that knowledge, the project required someone who could adapt and advocate for changes in the functional and technical realms. Gray handily demonstrated these skills while implementing the new system as she spent countless hours testing and trouble-shooting the complexities of the rebuild as it related to the Student Finance office. This work was done in addition to her normal day-to-day tasks and she helped keep the project moving forward by putting in extra time towards its successful completion. Despite the demands, Gray kept a positive attitude throughout the project and her humour helped everyone involved in the project stay upbeat.

To her colleagues and students, Gray is the go-to person who has and continues to make a difference.

Team award recipients — Suzanne Atkinson, Brenda Bell, Jaime Iwaasa, Nicole Spence, Kyra Svrcek and Kelly Vaselenak

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize the Faculty of Education’s Student Program Services (SPS) and Field Experiences (FE) teams with the President’s Award for Service Excellence.

From left to right are Nicole Spence, Jaime Iwaasa, Kyra Svrcek, Kelly Vaselenak and Suzanne Atkinson. Missing from the photo is Brenda Bell.

In a post-secondary year defined by the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, these teams have provided exceptional service and care to both students and faculty.

FE team members, Jaime Iwaasa (BMgt '22) and Kelly Vaselenak, and SPS team members, Suzanne Atkinson (BFA ’00), Brenda Bell (BA ’95, MA ’99), Kyra Svrcek (BHSc ’16) and Nicole Spence, often work in tandem to ensure undergraduate students are well supported in the Faculty of Education from pre-application to graduation. These teams are responsible for multiple tasks related to marketing, recruitment, admissions, advising, communications and setting up practicums in many school divisions across Alberta or in other provinces. In addition, the teams help students meet graduation requirements and subsequently navigate the teacher certification process. They also ensure faculty have all they need to successfully supervise students within schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented these teams with exceptional circumstances. The FE team is responsible for placing between 900 and 1,000 students in schools every year as they complete their professional semesters. The pandemic posed many challenges in terms of placing student teachers into their classrooms. Further complicating the situation was the fact ULethbridge students were learning remotely, many of them from communities outside Lethbridge. As a result, the FE team negotiated working with new schools and divisions to adapt to the changing practicum environment. Some practicum placements were outside the province where COVID restrictions were different. In the 2020-2021 year, the FE team placed more than 600 students into new practicums where, at times, they worked in a virtual or hybrid teaching environment.

In the run-up to the Fall 2020 semester, admissions had to be completed before a decision was made about how courses were to be delivered. The SPS team handled numerous questions from students who were worried about how they would begin their post-secondary education. The SPS team responded by holding information sessions, virtual townhalls and open houses to both new and continuing students. They also had to quickly adapt to using digital platforms and developed new skills in data management and electronic forms of record keeping in the process. The team found ways to support students and each other with grace and good humour, despite the volume of emails and concerns from students.

The SPS and FE teams are the foundation of the Faculty of Education program and their steadfast efforts over the past year ensured students had the best year possible.

APO recipient — Kali McKay

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is very proud to present the President’s Award for Service Excellence (APO) to Kali McKay (BA ’06, MA ’10), director of community engagement.

McKay has held numerous roles at ULethbridge, with the first as a student. After completing a bachelor’s degree, she joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a recruitment officer where she worked until returning to student life to complete her masters. Following the completion of her program, she joined ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement as a communications officer, then as events and protocol officer, and later as manager of constituent engagement. She now brings those varied perspectives to her current position as director of community engagement in the Department of Development, Alumni Relations and Community Engagement. Having worked in these roles has given McKay a holistic view of the workings of a post-secondary institution and it’s those experiences she draws upon in meeting the needs of ULethbridge’s many stakeholders.

Her masterstrokes are evident in many of ULethbridge’s most successful events and programs. McKay sees the big picture from the high-level strategy down to the smallest details. She played a crucial role in organizing both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 and the Big Bang Weekend to celebrate the opening of Science Commons in 2019. More recently, McKay led activities to celebrate the conclusion of the SHINE campaign, which raised $100 million and engaged more than 20,000 alumni. She has helped the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s annual Play Day take shape over the last decade and ensured its longevity by securing a donor for the event. Each year, she works to refine the planning and execution of Play Day so it continues to support the needs of families in southern Alberta.

McKay has formed strong relationships with partners across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and cemented herself as a leader both within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the larger community. Her eye is always on what’s best for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community and her tendency to dream big allows her to expand ideas. The Nourish program is a perfect example. She played a key role in building a brand for food security initiatives across campus to create a program that supports students and gives alumni and community members a way to give back.

She is also a champion for liberal education and has worked closely with the School of Liberal Education to advance initiatives like the Common Book Project and Volunteer Week. This passion for liberal education also inspired her to secure Margaret Atwood as guest speaker for the 2015 Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner, an event she organized and helped grow for a number of years. An extraordinary writer, one of the many stories McKay wrote includes The Formidable Margaret Atwood, which was published in Southern Alberta Magazine. Her colleagues fondly remember placing a sign on her office door that read, “Please do not disturb. Interview with MARGARET ATWOOD in progress.”

McKay’s ongoing positivity and drive to make ULethbridge the best it can be has reaped dividends too numerous to count and set a successful path for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for years to come.

UNews - President's Awards for Service Excellence

Recognizing recipients of the 2025 President's Award for Service Excellence

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