Dedicated Faculty and Staff to receive Awards

WINNIPEG, MB – At The University of Winnipeg’s Ninety-fifth Convocation ceremony, to be held Sunday, October 16, 2011, two professors and a plumber will be singled out for their outstanding dedication.

Michelle Owen, photo by Dan Harper

Dr. Michelle Owen will receive the Marsha Hanen Award for Excellence in Creating Community Awareness. An Associate Professor of Sociology, Owen was instrumental in the creation of the Bachelors program in Disability Studies at The University of Winnipeg, a first in the province of Manitoba, and among the first in Canada. More than 10 years in development, the new degree programs, which began in September 2010, are the result of extensive involvement by educators, disability activists and community members, allowing for a social model perspective of disability which includes the study of social, scientific, cultural, historical, and political construction. A distinguished researcher, Owen is dedicated to promoting awareness of disability issues; she has contributed her knowledge and expertise as a member in professional organizations including the Canadian Disability Studies Association, DisAbled Women’s Network and Canadian Centre on Disability Studies.

Judith Harris

UWinnipeg’s Associate Professor of Urban Studies Dr. Judith Harris will receive the Clarence Atchison Award for Excellence in Community Service. Harris brings a high level of commitment to her work, students, colleagues and community. She displays deep respect for many cultures, and her community research recognizes that people in the inner-city have a unique knowledge base. Harris has earned numerous awards, including The University of Winnipeg Merit Award for exceptional performance.

The University of Winnipeg Campus Sustainability Recognition Award is being conferred to Doug Foster, UWinnipeg’s plumber. Foster developed and implemented a bathroom fixture retrofit program that promises to save the University in excess of one million gallons of water every year. Compared to conventional washrooms, Foster’s retrofits will save enough water annually to fill the main Pan Am pool. Foster’s accomplishment is especially noteworthy because he initiated the sustainability aspect of the project and worked to identify the most efficient water fixtures that the University’s older buildings could accommodate – low-flow toilets and electronic sinks – and developed a plan to retrofit all bathrooms in core buildings on campus.