WINNIPEG, MB – The University of Winnipeg will honor two distinguished individuals at its 2010 Autumn Convocation ceremonies, Sunday, October 17, 2010.
Beata Biernacka will receive the Marsha Hanen Award for Excellence in Creating Community Awareness and Judy Graham will receive The Robin H. Farquhar Award for Excellence in Contributing to Self-Governance. These two individuals have been selected in honor of their exceptional service, achievement and distinction that have contributed to the University and to the community.
Beata Biernacka
Biernacka has devoted herself to making science accessible, interesting and relevant to young people, and most notably, to inner-city youth.
“Let’s Talk Science” inspires children to learn more about the world and opens the door to a lifetime of discovery and inquiry. Since 2003, Biernacka has been coordinating and growing The University of Winnipeg’s Science Outreach program, matching inner-city teachers with UWinnipeg students who then visit their classes to present science experiments. The program also brings students and their teachers onto the campus to observe how scientists conduct scientific inquiries.
During the summer months, UWinnipeg’s Science Outreach initiatives continue, as Biernacka works with the Community School Investigator’s program, run through the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, to offer science day camps to about 300 elementary children.
Judy Graham
Graham has served students at The University of Winnipeg since 1986, taking on a variety of roles that have greatly contributed to UWinnipeg’s self-governance. She also served tirelessly on numerous committees before her retirement in Spring 2010.
Graham exemplifies integrity, attention to detail, compassion and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty. As an administrator, she helped create a student-centered environment. Her dedicated committee work has contributed to the efficiency of UWinnipeg. Graham understood that committees devoted to academic regulations directly affect students and worked diligently to ensure that these decisions would better serve students and the university.
The award winners will be recognized at Autumn Convocation, which takes place Sunday, October 17, 2009 at 2:00 pm at the Duckworth Centre. The proceedings will also be webcast at http://www.uwinnipeg.tv.
