The University of Winnipeg is proud to honour two outstanding staff members—Angeline Nelson and Marnie Loewen—during our 127th Convocation on Friday, October 17.
Angeline Nelson – Clarence Atchison Award for Excellence in Community Service
Angeline Nelson credits many of her lifelong teachers whose life of service instilled a sense of responsibility to her community. She has dedicated her life to creating opportunities and fostering inclusion in STEM for underserved communities, particularly Indigenous youth. Through her visionary leadership at the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre and her commitment to culturally relevant and accessible education, she has made a profound impact on our community.
The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre provides critical programming for over 2,800 children, families, and community members annually. She has built partnerships with community organizations such as Community Education Development Association (CEDA), Spence Neighborhood Association, and several schools in the Winnipeg School Division. These programs have opened doors for children and created entryways to UWinnipeg.
She has served on many internal committees, such as the Indigenous Summer Scholars Program, Pathways to Graduate Studies, Indigenous Leaders in Science, and Indigenous Language Immersion in Anishinaabemowin. She also serves on several external boards and committees: Service Learning Working Group, University of Manitoba; Indigenous Professionals Initiative Committee, Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba; Science Rendezvous; Sunshine House Board of Directors; Minweyweywigaan Board; and Community Education Development Association.
Angeline’s work has had a transformative effect. She has expanded career possibilities for youth and through her advocacy efforts and securing external funding, which helped reduce systemic barriers to success in these fields. The Centre’s programs ensure that youth from low-income or marginalized backgrounds have the same opportunities as their more privileged peers.
Angeline, with the support of her team, works tirelessly to create spaces where Indigenous knowledge is valued, Indigenous youth feel seen, and Indigenous voices are amplified. She is creating long-lasting change, inspiring the next generation of scientists, leaders, and innovators.
The University of Winnipeg is proud to honour Angeline Nelson with the Clarence Atchison Award for Excellence in Community Service.
Marnie Loewen – Marsha Hanen Award for Excellence in Creating Community Awareness
Marnie Loewen has played an essential role in shaping the perception of The University of Winnipeg in her 26 years on campus.
As Website Administrator, her work has a large and lasting impact. The website is the gateway where prospective students, researchers, industry partners, and the general public — engages with us. Marnie ensures that our website reflects the excellence of our academic community.
Marnie’s contributions go beyond the technical. She cultivates a campus-wide culture of collaboration and respect, patiently supporting faculty and staff across departments in maintaining high-quality web content. Despite having the help of only one other part-time staff member, she provides expert guidance to countless users across the University.
She is a champion for accessibility, consistently pushing for improvements that make our digital presence more inclusive. She has been instrumental in several website redesigns, including the current version. She spearheaded a site-wide update to align with evolving web standards, further enhancing accessibility and functionality.
The impact of Marnie’s decades of work cannot be overstated. The University of Winnipeg, though smaller in size compared to many Canadian universities, has a website at the forefront of visual design, accessibility, and mobile usability.
Marnie exemplifies the spirit of this award. Her hard work, technical skills, and drive to continually learn has significantly enhanced community awareness of all UWinnipeg offers.
The University of Winnipeg is proud to honour Marnie Loewen with the Marsha Hanen Award for Excellence in Creating Community Awareness.
