University of Guelph-Humber

The University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH) is a thriving academic community because of its thoughtful program leadership, instructors, and staff who contribute to shaping their respective areas of study and the minds of students, and making the experience for those who attend the university memorable. 

An embodiment of this thoughtfulness are Associate Head of Psychology, Dr. Adam Sandford, and the UofGH convocation planning team, comprised of Susan Thomas, John Bruyea, Urmila Puran, Sandra Fazio, Myeisha McLawrence, Kirsten Knowles, and Oxana Bogatyrov. They were honoured with awards at the President’s Breakfast at Humber Polytechnic on Aug. 29.

“It was a nice surprise,” Dr. Sandford said, who’s the recipient of the President’s Award for Research Excellence. He was nominated by Psychology Chair, Dr. Alice Kim, and Academic Advisors, Brenley DiFranco and Nasreene Corpuz Kasznia. Dr. Sandford said he found out about this achievement after a busy week of preparation for upcoming research projects.

Student Services Department Head, Susan Thomas, part of the team who received the President’s Extra Mile Award, nominated by Humber Polytechnic Associate Vice President Enrolment Management and Registrar, Barbara Riach, expressed feeling “appreciative and honoured.” “I was actually just coming back from vacation and opened my inbox and saw a message from [Humber] with that news," she said.

When it came to the Research Excellence Award, Dr. Sandford’s ongoing innovative research in facial recognition and processing wasn’t the only facet the award celebrated. Also acknowledged was how Dr. Sandford involves students in the research he conducts, as he provides them with valuable mentorship and experiential opportunities in the field. In fact, he said working with students is the most rewarding aspect of his research endeavours. 

Moreover, Dr. Sandford said research initiatives that get students directly involved during their undergraduate studies are part of what makes UofGH special because there aren’t graduate students to compete with for these research opportunities. “We try to give more of an expansive set of opportunities to the students,” he said.

As for going the extra mile, the UofGH convocation team showcased this value in their efforts to make this important milestone in a student’s life better than ever. They earned their award for their work in bringing the 2024 convocation ceremony to the Toronto Congress Centre from Pearson Convention Center – a larger venue. This resulted in having additional space to accommodate more students’ loved ones to witness their graduation. Plus, the team was applauded for planning convocation amid challenging political and global events that have impacted convocation ceremonies throughout North America.

“It’s such a significant event for our students, but also for our community. And the team really tries to put a lot of thought and care into making it a great event for everyone,” Thomas said. “So that recognition, and to hear that we were winning an award, was pretty special.” 

The President’s Awards are hosted annually by Humber Polytechnic, but UofGH employees, as Humber employees, are eligible for nomination.

For a full list of the award recipients, click here.