Logan and Lischka Recognized as Outstanding Staff in 2008

Annette Logan and Alenna Lischka are winners of the Kinesiology Staff Award of Excellence for 2008.

Annette has been the Executive Assistant to the Vice Dean since 1998. Her caring and positive outlook on life has resulted in a personal yet professional approach to everyone she meets. Annette genuinely cares about her co-workers and is always willing to listen and give a positive spin to any professional or personal issues. Annette provides regular and timely communications regarding academic processes and keeps everyone informed.

Annette has been with the faculty for over 20 years and as a result is an incredible resource for all types of questions and is pleased to help anyone out. She definitely personifies our vision to provide excellent service to students, staff, and the community. Annette appreciates a good joke often resulting in her laugh being heard a long way off. She is a genuine and caring friend to many. As one nominator said, "The sincerity of ‘how are you today' is a welcome start to everyone's day."

Alenna has worked with the Health and Fitness team for a few years now. She oversees a large group of programs including TrymGym, Rehabilitation and Fitness for Persons with Physical Disabilities, and Joint Effort. Many might not know Alenna as she goes about her business quietly and professionally while significantly impacting hundreds of people on a regular basis. Alenna's big smile and welcoming attitude are two wonderful qualities that she brings to work everyday. Alenna attacks all challenges with a creative and unique approach and is known for her ability to think outside the box. She is highly professional and an incredible team player who clearly sees the big picture. As one nominator said, "Alenna has been a shining star in our midst for a few years. There is no end in sight to potential that Alenna brings to our faculty."

In recognition of this Award, Annette and Alenna will receive $500 each and will have their picture placed on the Award of Excellence wall across from the Fitness Centre. They exemplify what it means to be part of a successful team.

"As you can appreciate we have many wonderful and dedicated employees in the Faculty of Kinesiology,"said Vice Dean, Tina Gabriele, "which made the committee's decision very difficult." There were a total of six nominees this year. In addition to Annette and Alenna, the following outstanding Kinesiology staff employees were recognized by their peers:

Kevin Boyles, Dinos Athletics
Holly Hanna, Human Performance Lab
Karrie Kreutz, Olympic Oval
Rosie Neil, Human Performance Lab

"Kinesiology would not be the Faculty it is today without dedicated and hard working people like those individuals on this prestigious list," said Gabriele. "I would like to personally thank every one of these individuals as they have all been incredibly helpful - their efforts have not gone unnoticed and they all make a difference."

2008 Students Union Awards Go to Outstanding KNES Faculty

On Wednesday, April 30, the Students Union acknowledged outstanding contributions to academic life by handing out their annual Teaching Excellence Awards. The Faculty of Kinesiology had two winners this year: Dr. Reed Ferber and Dr. Aaron Tubman (Honorable Mention).

Dr. Ferber received the SU Teaching Excellence Award for exceptional teaching in KNES 261 (Human Anatomy). In their nomination of Reed, students indicate that he is enthusiastic and makes learning fun. He is a great role model who cares about students and does everything possible for the students to succeed. His down to earth attitude makes people want to attend class. For an 8 am class, he manages to wake everybody up with his infectious excitement and love for teaching. One student wrote "give him the damn award, he deserves it."

Dr. Tubman received the SU Teaching Excellence Award (Honorable Mention) for outstanding teaching in KNES 479 (Advanced Fitness Appraisal and Exercise Prescription). Comments from students indicate that Aaron is enthusiastic and it is evident that she loves teaching. Her passion is obvious as she approaches every class with humour and a genuine interest in the students. She is one professor who they will miss when they graduate. One student wrote that "I would come to her class even if I wasn't enrolled - if she doesn't get the award it is ludicrous - she deserves the award ten-fold."

Kinesiology Honours 2007 Outstanding Staff, Faculty

ReimerThe Faculty of Kinesiology recently paid tribute to staff and faculty who have gone above and beyond in their service to the Faculty, as nominated by their peers. The 2007 Kinesiology Faculty Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions in research went to Dr. Raylene Reimer of the Human Performance Lab while the staff awards went to Rosalie Kolstad and Shawna Trudel.

Dr. Raylene Reimer received her BSc in 1993 and her PhD in 1997, both from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She then trained at the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne Switzerland (1997-1999), and is presently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology with a joint appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.

Raylene's research on nutrition and obesity has received wide acclaim and she is regularly invited to speak at scientific conferences and has had great exposure in the media. Raylene is a dedicated academic scientist and is quickly becoming one of Canada's leaders in food, nutrition and obesity research.

Most impressively, Raylene has been able to establish stable funding for her research, including federal grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. She has also received funding from a variety of other sources such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Dairy Farmers of Canada, and the Margaret Dunn Endowment.

A plaque with Raylene's name and a picture will be displayed on the Kinesiology Award of Excellence wall across from the Fitness Centre and there will be a celebration in her honour later in the year.

Among the staff, Rosalie Kolstad (left) and Shawna Trudel (right) were singled out as having given exceptional service to the Faculty. They are winners of the Kinesiology Staff Award of Excellence for 2007.

Rosalie has been the Graduate Program Administrator since 2005. Her caring and patient approach has allowed her to counsel graduate students in several areas including program/course selection, funding applications, and external assistance. She is highly knowledgeable about faculty and university policies and ensures that we are constantly changing to align with these processes.

Rosalie is creative and innovative and constantly seeks ways to improve the program and the experience for the graduate students. This year she was integral in the creation of the ‘Kinesiology Amazing Race' which was a fun way to provide an orientation to both new and returning graduate students. As one nominator said, "Rosalie has always done more than she has to do... she is as close to a truly altruistic person as one will ever find."

Shawna Trudel has worked in our Faculty since 1987 and is currently the Membership Services Coordinator for Campus Recreation. The past year was a particularly challenging year for Shawna as the locker room renovation project lasted almost 8 months longer than anticipated. As one can imagine, the renovation caused many customers and clients to be concerned resulting in numerous phone calls, emails, and meetings. Shawna was up to this challenge, approaching each concern with care and understanding. Throughout this whole process, very few members were lost and that is directly a result of Shawna's ability to interact positively with clients. Shawna was able to remain upbeat and continued her amazing willingness to help out in several other areas. If a call ever goes out for volunteers, Shawna is the first to respond. She regularly gives of herself and volunteers for events at the Oval, in Athletics, and in student recruitment. She is a true team player.

In recognition of this Award, Rosalie and Shawna will receive $500 each and will have their picture placed on the Award of Excellence wall across from the Fitness Centre.

In addition to Rosalie and Shawna, the following outstanding Kinesiology staff employees were recognized by their peers this year: Kathy Berg, Olympic Oval, High Performance Female Hockey Program; Kevin Boyles, Dinos Athletics, Women's Volleyball Coach; John Holash, Kinesiology IT; Alf Skrastins, Outdoor Centre and Community Programs. Each of these nominees will be invited to a luncheon with Kinesiology Dean, Dr. Wayne Giles during the holiday season to recognize their outstanding efforts