2024 Above and Beyond Awards

Above & Beyond Award Recipients (Spring 2024)

Out-going Departmental Chairs & Director (Helen Kurki, Scott Watson, Steve Lindsay, Bruce Ravelli, and Brian Starzomski)

We thank those Chairs and Director who are completing their terms this year for going above and beyond in their leadership service for their academic units and the wider Social Sciences community.

Out-going Interdisciplinary Program Directors (Jutta Gutberlet and Sarah Wiebe)

We thank those Interdisciplinary Program Directors who are completing their terms this year for going above and beyond in their leadership service for their academic programs and the wider Social Sciences community.

Volunteers for Centralized Midterm Pilot from Psychology (Adam Krawitz, Ulrich Mueller, and David Polson)

We thank those Psychology instructors who volunteered to participate in the centralized midterm pilot during Spring 2024 for going above and beyond to support student accommodations.

Dan Braga

As part of the UVic custodial team, Dan has gone above and beyond in his custodial work for Social Sciences. One staff member from Psychology noted, "We can tell when Dan has been working because every space he cleans is immaculate. His attention to detail is incredible and is reflected in many ways. Staff recognize his exceptional work ethic and would like to acknowledge all that he does for UVic."

George Cade

As an undergraduate student in Political Science, George has gone above and beyond as President of the UVic UNICEF club by organizing a toy drive for Ukrainian refugees in Victoria, which gathered $4,500 worth of toys to be donated to 40 families as well as partnering with the Victoria Women's Transition House Society to create self-care packages for teens affected by domestic violence and abuse. One nominator noted, "George has also made a significant impact on the campus community by fostering a club environment that is inclusive and is a space for all" and is committed to "bettering the community and campus culture at UVic."

Kemmerly Chipongian and Jessica Silverman

As undergraduate students in Psychology, Kemmerly and Jessica have gone above and beyond in their role as Co-Presidents of the international honours society, Psi Chi. A fellow student commended them for their "willingness to provide support to ensure that all psychology events are a fun and engaging experience and all board members feel well-supported."

Aileen Chong

As the Graduate Secretary in Sociology, Aileen has gone above and beyond in supporting graduate students, helping to foster a welcoming departmental culture, and assisting at a time of great difficulty with the loss of a colleague in the department. An academic leader and faculty member both noted, "Aileen’s calm and welcoming demeanor has made a positive impact on the department culture and her support for our graduate students is second to none. For example, her support for our international students starts well before they arrive by helping them with the application process, finding accommodations once they arrive, organizing social events while they are here, and staying in touch after they graduate. These actions speak volumes about her commitment to our students, our department, and our university."

Alison Chung

As a graduate student in Psychology, Alison has gone above and beyond through her involvement in several EDI-oriented organizations and initiatives on and off campus, including the UVic Athletics Esports Association to increase recognition of women and non-binary participation in this male-dominated field. One faculty member noted, "Alison is passionate about advocating for equity and inclusion of students from marginalized and intersecting backgrounds. She is an exceptional UVic community member, providing her unique perspectives as a marginalized student on multiple councils and advisory committees, and promoting interests of underrepresented students, as well as marginalized and equity seeking groups more broadly, on campus and beyond its borders."

Maycira Costa

As a Professor in Geography, Maycira has gone above and beyond in receiving significant external awards to support her students and postdoc and her large research program. An academic leader noted, she is well respected for "her outstanding contributions to the scientific understanding of the dynamics of globally important coastal oceans....and leads and collaborates in large-scale interdisciplinary research at international, national, and regional levels, including with many coastal communities and First Nations in British Columbia."

Chris Darby

As the Computer Technician in Psychology, Chris has gone above and beyond in providing computer support to the department for over three decades. An academic leader noted, "Chris has been an extraordinary support for innumerable members of our department for 33 years. In the early years his work fairly often involved electronics, and it sometimes still does, but more and more of his time has been dedicated to supporting the hundreds of computers in our department. He keeps himself up to date on both PCs and Macs and he is consistently kind and helpful. Chris recently announced he plans to retire at the end of April. PSYC will not be the same without him!"

Karen Kienapple

As the Graduate Secretary in Psychology, Karen has gone above and beyond in supporting students in the department's graduate program. An academic leader and staff member both noted, "she is genuinely concerned with enhancing grad students’ wellbeing and takes pains to support them. There is no doubt but that her engaged and caring professionalism has real and significant positive effects on our graduate students and thereby lifts up the whole department."

Gillian Krezoski

As a Senior Lab Instructor in Geography, Gillian has gone above and beyond in her contributions to course design related to experiential learning and practical skills development for students. A faculty member and student both noted, "she has rebuilt multiple courses, published open educational resources used across provincial institutions and developed a one of kind, immerse experience in Canada with her Karst Geomorphology Field School. Students describe courses designed and taught by Jill as engaging, practical, and fun. In all aspects of her position, she goes above and beyond and leaves a lasting impact on students."

Yin Lam

As an Associate Professor in Anthropology, Yin has gone above and beyond in his support of colleagues in preparing award nomination packages. One academic leader noted, Yin "selflessly spends an inordinate amount of time every year putting together fabulous nomination packages for faculty, staff, and students for both internal and external awards, both big and small, and all on his own initiative."

Emilie Longtin

As a graduate student in Psychology, Emilie has gone above and beyond in demonstrating innovation, leadership, and a commitment to reconciliation through the Saanich Child and Youth Mental Health assessment practicum. One faculty member noted, Emilie "established positive relationships that paved the way for future students," thereby "creating opportunities for the next generation of students and reflecting her commitment to social justice in psychology."

Stuart MacDonald

As a Professor in Psychology, Stuart has gone above and beyond in his support and mentorship of this year's Psychology Honours cohort. Members of the Honours cohort noted, "he has been kind, supportive, and understanding through moments of collective difficulty and...has made himself available to students outside of class to support our theses, provide feedback on our work, and answer any of our questions about our capstone projects. He has also offered to go beyond his role and provide feedback and support on our scholarship applications and conference abstracts, and to answer any questions regarding graduate schools or future educational and vocational pathways. He has helped our cohort tremendously not only with our academic work, but also by creating a sense of safety, cohesion, and community within our classroom."

Sean Morgan

As a graduate student in Psychology, Sean has gone above and beyond in student mentorship and research contributions, including supervising an honours student, making key contributions to research lab work, and being a finalist in the 3MT competition. One nominator noted, Sean helped an honours student "through tricky statistical analyses and the formulation of her own thesis" and "has also been an incredible resource to his lab and classmates."

Midori Ogasawara

As an Assistant Professor in Sociology, Midori has gone above and beyond in supporting student success in her courses and inspiring students to learn beyond the classroom. Several students noted that Midori's mentorship has contributed to their academic growth, and, as one student nominator explained, "she has inspired me to be bold and brave, challenging the discourses of society that I have become numb to, and she through her teaching has opened questions about the world that I didn’t know I had."

Cleo Philp

As an undergraduate student in Political Science, Cleo has gone above and beyond in her leadership service on the UVSS Board of Directors. A fellow student noted, "she advocates passionately for better housing for students and works tirelessly to make sure that students feel safe on campus."

Lauren Qualls

As a graduate student in Psychology, Lauren has gone above and beyond in leadership, mentorship, and advocacy efforts, serving on various committees at the departmental, university, and professional levels. A faculty member noted, Lauren is a "team player" and "never hesitates to leverage her own experience as an international student to advocate for the success and well-being of her peers and also more junior students."

Research Assistant Team in the UVic Healthy Relationships Lab

As a group, the RA team in the UVic Healthy Relationships Lab has gone above and beyond in their preventative clinical work for couples at risk of intimate partner violence and leadership in developing a community of peer mentorship. Two fellow graduate students noted, the "RA team has gone above and beyond by uplifting and celebrating the activities of their fellow lab members both in the lab and out in the community."

Q  Roxas

As an undergraduate student in Political Science, Q has gone above and beyond in leadership and service with the Political Science Course Union. A fellow student noted, "Our Political Science Course Union members unilaterally recognize that Q Roxas has dedicated an invaluable amount of time and energy towards progressing the Union so that it continues to serve our undergraduate students."

Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky

As a graduate student in Environmental Studies, Sabrina has gone above and beyond in her contributions to developing and launching the new Transformative Climate Action certificate program. One faculty member noted, "drawing from her extensive background working with youth-led climate change organizations, she has ensured both that the curriculum is reflective of youth climate action priorities and that it is approachable and responsive to the needs of youth in ways that more traditional university curriculum often is not....She has consistently gone above and beyond, in the process contributing to a program that will have a stronger impact and legacy due to her involvement."

Charlene Toews

As the Administrative Officer in Economics, Charlene has gone above and beyond in her contributions overseeing administrative tasks related to hiring and training new staff in the department. An academic leader noted, she has "made sure that we have a cohesive and fully functioning team."

Sydney Waddington

As an undergraduate student in Psychology, Sydney has gone above and beyond for her leadership contributions to the UVic campus community, serving as founding President of the UVic Students Above Stigma and President of the UVic Women in Science. One nominator noted, "serving as President for both groups, Sydney’s leadership has been transformative. The extent of her commitment is profound—over the past five years, Sydney has invested more than 1,000 hours in leading SAS and WIS' executive teams and launching initiatives. This extraordinary investment of time and energy not only underscores her dedication but also significantly amplifies the positive impact on the campus and wider community."

Anelyse Weiler

As an Assistant Professor in Sociology, Anelyse has gone above and beyond in advancing experiential and community-engaged learning in her courses, mentoring and co-authoring publications with undergraduate students, and encouraging volunteerism among students. One faculty colleague noted, Anelyse has "given hundreds of students firsthand experience with conducting original interview-based research on a topic of their choice" and has "helped students develop a sense of hope and self-efficacy in the face of climate change."