Accolades for the week of June 25
Linda Kay, associate professor and former chair of the Department of Journalism, has been named 2013’s Woman of Distinction in Communications by the Montreal Women’s Y Foundation. Kay’s 20-year career as a journalist – she was the Chicago Tribune’s first female sports writer – lead to her appointment at Concordia in 2001. She went on to become the department’s first tenured female professor, and won the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence in the Faculty of Arts and Science in 2007. She published her second book, The Sweet Sixteen: The Journey That Inspired the Canadian Woman’s Press Club, in March of last year.
Past winners of the Women’s Y award include Lise Bissonnette, CBC news anchor Céline Galipeau, Janet Bagnall of the Gazette and Josée Boileau, editor of Le Devoir. Kay officially joins their ranks on September 30, at the 20th Woman of Distinction Awards Benefit Evening at the Palais des congrès.
E-Learning Fellow Saul Carliner has received the Award of Distinguished Technical Communication for his article, “Using Business Models to Describe Technical Communication Groups.” The article appeared in the June 2012 issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Technical Communication.
The article applies the theory of business models from the field of management to suggest differing levels of influence and power among technical communication groups. The competition judges noted, “Technical communicators can apply this theory to better identify and choose a technical communication position in a variety of companies.”
This is the sixth time that Carliner has been recognized in this competition, which acknowledges exceptional articles that appeared in Technical Communication during a calendar year. Established in 1953, Technical Communication is the peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Technical Communication and one of the most highly respected journals devoted to the arts and sciences of technical communication.
Rachida Dssouli was appointed the new director of the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE) as of June 1, 2013. Dssouli brings with her a myriad of knowledge and proven administrative experience. In a letter of congratulations, Robin Drew, dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, praised Dssouli: “As the institute’s first director, her commitment to the unit was instrumental to CIISE’s great initial success and its continued growth. I wish her well as she resumes her role as director after a six-year break.”
The dean also thanked Mourad Debbabi for his many contributions to the institute over the past six years, when the faculty complement and research of the unit experienced notable growth. Drew says, “He leaves the unit in excellent shape and I ask you to join me in wishing him well as he embarks on a well-earned sabbatical leave.”
The Canadianized Hazardous Materials Inventory System (HECHMET), developed by a four-university consortium that includes Concordia, has received the National First Prize in Quality and Productivity from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO).
HECHMET, an inventory software product, powers a comprehensive database of more than 350,000 chemicals located at the four participating universities. The database is hosted on secure servers at the University of Ottawa and contains information on hazardous materials toxicology, hazards, physical properties, health hazard data and regulatory information, and links to material safety data sheets. It allows individual institutions to monitor the purchase of all chemicals, manage distribution of and access to these substances, monitor the quantities and types of chemicals present, ensure appropriate disposal, limit the storage of hazardous materials, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards and reporting obligations.
The four participating institutions are Concordia, Queen’s University, the University of Ottawa and the Royal Military College of Canada. In June 2012, Ryerson University joined the consortium as a pilot to test the ability to expand the system to other universities. So far, this pilot has been highly successful. HECHMET has become a key tool for both the research community and central administration services.
CAUBO is a non-profit professional organization representing the interests of administrative and financial officers at Canadian universities and affiliated colleges.
Concordia University Magazine, produced by Advancement and Alumni Relations for the university’s growing alumni community, won bronze in the 2013 Prix d’Excellence. The annual awards program of the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education recognizes outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement services, stewardship, student recruitment and overall institutional advancement. Congratulations to the editor, Howard Bokser, MBA 85, and the University Communications Services design team, led by Christopher Alleyne, BA (comm. studies) 09.
Sibonakaliso Moyo, who recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, won the Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarship competition. The award, granted to only four undergraduate students across Canada, is given to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in the United States or the United Kingdom in the areas of international relations or industrial relations. Moyo plans to continue her studies at University of Cambridge.
Four Concordians have been named finalists in the RBC Canadian Painting Competition: MFA in Studio Arts students Brendan Flanagan, Colleen Heslin and Nathaniel Hurtubise, and alumna Laura Findlay, BFA (studio art) 11.
With the support of the Canadian Art Foundation, the RBC Canadian Painting Competition is an initiative to help nurture and support promising new artists in the early stages of their careers, a time when they need both recognition and financial support.
View images of the finalists’ work on the RBC Canadian Painting Competition website.