People of SFU

Meet SFU’s 2022 Staff Achievement Award winners

March 09, 2023

Congratulations to the winners of SFU’s 2022 Staff Achievement Awards. These awards highlight the exceptional work of SFU employees—and remind us how much the university depends on the talents and commitment of its dedicated staff.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Awarded for demonstrating years of leadership, devotion and commitment to Simon Fraser University over the course of their employment.

Lynda Hewitt 

Director, Meeting, Event & Conference Services 

Lauded for her reliability, empathy and willingness to lend a hand, Lynda Hewitt balances a multitude of competing priorities in a very complex role. She has exemplified leadership, dedication and commitment to the university for more than 25 years.  

Marianne Meadahl 

Assistant Director, Media Relations & Public Affairs, Communications & Marketing 

For more than three decades, Marianne Meadahl has worked tirelessly to promote SFU’s reputation and the expertise of SFU researchers and faculty. Her media relations and storytelling abilities, knowledge-base and relentless drive to secure media coverage for SFU has garnered significant attention for the university.

Paul Saunders 

Lab Technician, Department of Chemistry 

This December marked Paul Saunders’ 50th year of service at SFU, which is one of the longest of any employee in the university’s history. As a lab technician in the Organic & Inorganic Chemistry Teaching Lab and an integral part of the teaching team, he creates the best possible learning experience for SFU students.

ATHLETIC/ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

Awarded for achieving local, national or international success in any facet of physical or artistic endeavors.

Rohit Sawalker

Manager, Sports Medicine, Athletics & Recreation 

Rohit Sawalker played a key leadership role in the physical health of more than 400 athletes who compete on SFU’s 17 varsity teams. This year, Sawalker was named as head physiotherapist for a new professional cricket franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and travelled to Mumbai for three months to work with the team, which captured the IPL championship in its first year.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

Awarded for giving time and energy to foster goodwill and compassion for others.

Greg St. Germain

Equipment Assistant, Athletics & Recreation 

When he’s not setting up events and interacting with guests in the Lorne Davis Complex, Greg St. Germain runs three ALS Move to Cure events in Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Surrey. That have raised more than $750,000 for ALS research quality of life support over the past eight years. Greg also volunteers his time at an annual summer camp for children of families impacted by ALS. 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Awarded to an individual who values, respects and supports campus members across a broad range of differences to enhance a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Elodie Jacquet & Nicole Armos 

Beyond Inclusion: Equity in Public Engagement Team, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 

The core team of Elodie Jacquet and Nicole Armos developed a free resource and guide to increasing equity in public engagement and government decision-making. They also produced the award-winning guide following almost two years of engagement with more than 150 people from diverse backgrounds and communities. 

INNOVATION

Awarded for the development and improvement of methods, processes and procedures by demonstrating original thinking, for the betterment of staff and the university.

Kilim Park 

Manager, Sustainability Research, Department of Sustainability 

Kilim Park’s leadership has helped drive key initiatives like the Campus Living Lab Program, the Burnaby Civic Innovation Lab and the Community-Centred Climate Innovation C3I initiative. Her work has broken down silos across SFU, amplify the impact of sustainability and climate-action initiatives as well as improve the lives of students, faculty and staff. 

LEADERSHIP

Awarded for exemplifying significant leadership skills such as the ability to lead and guide staff, develop staff talents and successfully manage an efficient and effective unit at the highest level.

Kris Nordgren 

Assistant Registrar, Student Services – Senate & Academic 

Kris Nordgren is a consistent, calm and supportive leader whose diverse portfolio is essential to the functioning of the university. He mentors and encourages his team to achieve excellence in their work, pursue personal and professional growth and maintain a work-life balance.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT 

Anke Baker 

Manager, Academic and Administrative Services, Department of Geography 

A mentor and coach to her staff, Anke Baker is a patient problem-solver who has helped guide the geography department through a reimagining of vision and mission to ensure the department is a teaching and research powerhouse with strong enrolment and excellent collegiality. Awarded for overcoming adversity or prevailing over difficult circumstances by demonstrating courage, resilience and determination.

Jovanna Sauro 

Budget Coordinator, IT Services Administration 

Diagnosed with cancer just three months into her employment, Jovanna Sauro met the disease with courage and positivity. Four months into chemotherapy, with side effects that included brain fog, hair loss and extreme fatigue, she decided to pursue graduate studies at SFU. She was declared cancer-free in December 2020 and returned to work, continuing her studies and graduating with her Master of Education in October 2022.  

STUDENT SERVICE

Awarded for enhancing the university’s ability to meet employee and student needs in an efficient and professional manner by going the extra mile to anticipate and proactively meet expectations.

Team – Arts Central 

From a student’s first day on campus all the way through to graduation the Arts Central team is a hub for support, resources and community. Staff offer wrap around services to students with warmth and kindness, consistently going above and beyond to ensure students have what they need.

Team Members: Kaitlan Davis, Rosaline Baik, Toyosi Bamgboye, Bettina Cenerelli, Brian Fox, Meghan Grant, Elisa Herrell, Karonne Mozsar, Tracey Sherwood, Wendy Szeto, Claudia Hart and Claire de Lisser

TEAM

Awarded in recognition of staff teams that exemplify collaboration and cooperation; and that demonstrate a significant contribution with results on behalf of their department and the university.

SFU Project Management Community of Practice

Beginning in 2020 as a grassroots initiative, the team successfully developed an in-house, low-cost solution to the challenges of remote and distributed work at SFU while engaging more than 100 staff members across the university. 

Archaeology

The archaeology administrative and laboratory support team are the backbone of the department, ensuring deadlines are met, students are taken care of, and classrooms and labs are equipped and ready. They have also supported significant projects in the name of reconciliation, including repatriation and an Indigenous garden initiative. 

WORK PERFORMANCE

Awarded for demonstrating work performance that is consistently above and beyond the call of duty.

David Lee 

Technician, Department of Physics 

David Lee has spent considerable time supporting the Trottier Observatory and outreach programs, working closely with the department's faculty and staff. Through his involvement in numerous outreach events, he has helped promote SFU to the public and has profoundly influenced the department. 

Kate Carty 

Coordinator, Public Health Programs, Faculty of Health Sciences 

Kate Carty has made exemplary contributions to the implementation, operation and reputation of Faculty of Health Sciences programs and infrastructure, particularly with respect to the Council on Education in Public Health accreditation process. 

Todd Mann 

Project Manager II, Surrey Faculties Management 

Described as the go-to person for everything at SFU Surrey, Todd Mann served in two positions simultaneously while recruitment for his former Facilities Manager role was underway. As Project Manager II, he was able to close out all long overdue projects that were assigned to him, despite many challenges with procurement and the supply chain.

Justine Crawford 

Manager, Audience + Event Services, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (GCA) Production & Event Services

Justine Crawford’s in-depth knowledge and experience with events management have earned her the title of "the rock” in her department. Her skills positively impact a number of schools, offices and community members as she plays an essential role in the many events that occur at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. 

Heidi Vukic 

HR Strategic Business Partner, People & Organizational Development 

Heidi Vukic supports numerous portfolios at SFU, including the President’s Office, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Fellows, VP Research and International (VPRI). She goes above and beyond every day to be a true partner and champion for every client she works with being described as “mission critical” by her colleagues. 

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