Faculty Recognition Awards honour remarkable professors of Algonquin College

Nine faculty members from Algonquin College’s three campuses took to the stage at the Algonquin Commons Theatre to accept awards of recognition on March 25.

There were several awards celebrating beloved faculty members at the college.

One of the recipients of an Excellence in Teaching award was Murray Hillier, professor in respiratory therapy who has taught at the college for 23 years, driving in from Kingston every day.

Hillier was joined by three of his students who nominated him for the award: Julia Garlock, Sana Patel and Emily Samson.

“I heard Murray getting a little bit choked up on stage and it started to get to me,” Patel said, speaking of the emotional ceremony where many award winners held back tears.

“I fully expected Murray to win it because he’s a great professor. He’s made a lasting impact on us here in our classes and even in our regular lives,” she said.

“I’m so excited for Murray,” said Samson. “He has done so much for us in such a short time, and he has so much life experience that he brings to the classroom and it’s such a pleasure to learn from him every week.”

Hillier was left emotional by the nomination.

“All I can say is that I’m deeply honoured and very humbled,” Hillier said.

“Any professor, if they’re doing their job right, should inspire and motivate. But it’s about more than that, it’s about life and helping them achieve their success, their goals,” he said.

“As clinicians, making sure that the people they’re gonna serve get the best service in the most humane way possible. At the end of the day, that’s what it should be about.”

Peter Arbour, the program coordinator for the forestry technician program at the Pembroke campus, also won an Excellence in Teaching award.

Arbour’s student Chelsea Duncan was among the students supporting him at the ceremony.

“Peter is so passionate about forestry,” Duncan said.

“He’s really good with students. He’s been supportive of me. I broke my leg coming back into school and he called me every week on Zoom to talk.”

Duncan said Arbour always reaches out to students personally to make sure that they’re doing okay when they are late handing in assignments.

“He’s just the best.”

Krista Pearson, vice-president of student services, received the Algonquin Students’ Association Board of Directors Award.

The award was created in 2018 to recognize someone within the college community who has impacted the student experience.

“I’m really in awe of our students’ association and impressed by it. This role has given me such a gift, to prioritize time with our students,” Pearson said in an emotional acceptance speech.

Anita Tenasco, director of Indigenous initiatives, won the Chris Warburton Award for excellence.

“I feel tremendously lucky to be able to support the leadership of Algonquin College, the Students’ Association and our incredible students on this journey of learning about truth and reconciliation,” Tenasco said during her acceptance speech.

“When I engage with students, I learn and I become energized. Algonquin’s students are a blend of amazing cultures, strength and brilliance.”

Claude Brulé, president of Algonquin College, called the annual awards ceremony “tremendous.”

“It comes from the students; it comes from the learners; as the teachers have said, it doesn’t get better than this,” Brulé said. “It’s a recognition from the heart, and the teachers recognize that, so it’s wonderful. It’s a tremendous recognition for our faculty.”