Congratulations to all!
Luke Sutherland, Client Support Specialist, ACT, ITS
Luke is a key member of the Office365 migration and support team. Amongst many accomplishments, Luke created the MigPlanner – a program that collates e-mail account data, enabling departments to validate and schedule employees into migration projects. Luke co-ordinates the O365 migration support staff and is actively involved in the technical elements of the Office 365 implementation. Congratulations Luke!
Haroon Rafique, Tech Lead – Student Information Systems, EASI, ITS
Haroon is the technical lead for the Student Information System Team within EASI. He works on such things as ACORN, Degree Explorer and ROSI. Haroon is described by his peers as a thought leader and “borderline genius”. This year he has been integral to the ROSI migration project (2 million lines of code) which is one of the largest undertakings within ITS. Haroon always goes above and beyond the call of duty. For instance this year he resolved a critical printer issue for the Office of Convocation so that students received their diplomas during June convocation. Thank you Haroon!
Helen Chang, Senior Research Analyst, P&B
Helen Chang is a true community builder. She routinely finds ways to enrich the UofT experience by connecting, recognizing, and supporting colleagues at UofT. Whether it is planning a potluck lunch, organizing a group webinar on the latest tech trend, participating in the mentorship program, or scheduling guest speakers for the Community of Institutional Researchers, Helen has a substantial impact on building a sense of community, encouraging career growth, and cultivating joy. It is a pleasure to nominate her for an Outstanding Individual Employee Award.
Jenny Cheng, Manager, Budget Administration, Reporting and Institutional Systems, P&B
Jenny Cheng is a star. She has world-class analytical skills, backed by a deep and personal commitment to quality, and an unwavering enthusiasm for her work. She vigilantly ensures that the budget model is fair and accurate. In her quest for continuous improvement, she leaves no stone unturned. During an IT procurement process this year, a software vendor remarked that they had never encountered such detailed and robust information in twenty years of business. Jenny inspires excellence. It is a pleasure to nominate her for an Outstanding Individual Employee Award.
Michal Kuzniar, Assistant Planner, UPDC
Michael’s creativity, out of the box thinking and talent for distilling multiple challenges and needs in to a single unified plan are what led him to be chosen for this award. His openness to alternative solutions and his ability to see a bigger picture benefit us all. In addition to his regular duties, and off the side of his desk, Michal has been identifying existing signage and plotting routes of travel in an effort to streamline wayfinding on campus, making it easier for people to make their way across and through campus. Michael is the consummate professional, and a pleasure to work with. Congratulations!
Elizabeth Urbanowski, Assistant to the Dean, Administration and Operations, Ancillary Services
Elizabeth Urbanowski is an exceptionally dedicated and hard working member of the Graduate House team whose collaborative leadership and personal commitment to excellence have had a significant positive impact on the quality of the student experience at Graduate House, the functioning of our team, and our overall operational efficiency and effectiveness. Elizabeth is adept at managing the logistical requirements of large complex projects, and is passionate about getting excellent work at a good price on behalf of our students, and the University. Her outstanding work and positive attitude is an example for our whole team.
Ryan Dow, Staff Sergeant, Campus Police, F&S
The demands made on protocol services in the President’s Office, as they grow in scale, are becoming increasingly complex. Over the past eighteen months, Ryan has provided leadership in security planning for visitors ranging from the G7 Foreign Ministers Summit at U of T, to the Prime Minister of Estonia and multiple visits by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to Senator Bernie Sanders. The G7 Summits Secretariat advised that the Private Protection Officers to G7 Foreign Ministers were very impressed with Ryan’s demeanour, his willingness to solve problems and share information. Ryan’s attitude and actions reflect very well on the University’s reputation, and for this he is a worthy recipient of an Outstanding Individual Employee Award.
Sarosh Jamal, Senior Systems Administrator, ITS
Sarosh is a member of the Systems Infrastructure group within Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) in ITS. He is actively involved with helping define and implement services at the system, application, network and security contexts, working seamlessly with colleagues across EASI, ISEA and other groups within EIS. Sarosh gets people to the table and bridges gaps between divergent needs and goals to get the alignment needed to move projects forward. A great team builder. Thank you Sarosh.
Matt Wilks, Senior Identity & Access Management Architect, ITS
The UTORid account system is used by faculty, student and staff to access pretty well all of the major online services. Email, learning management, employee self-serve, you name it, a UTORid is needed to access it. Matt Wilks is one of the principle developers of the UTORid system and is the senior architect. Matt is well known across ITS and the University for his knowledge and capable assistance in integrating services with the UTORid. He works closely with student records, administrative services and TCard groups among many others. In this world of cyber-security concerns, his work is exceptionally critical and valued. Congratulations Matt.
Sarah Reid, Manager, Campus Events, ACE
Sarah Reid regularly goes above and beyond to make things work and her ‘can do’ attitude is valued by her inter-portfolio partners. Working directly with the President’s Office as part of a team delivering of some their high-profile institutional events, her patience, persistence, flexibility, and diplomacy make her an ideal U of T “ambassador”. Managing the annual Convocation Plaza project, a multi-divisional/portfolio undertaking, is key to the success of the 2 Convocation seasons, and Sarah’s collaborative approach is essential to the success of the initiative. Sarah is an important part of the broader institutional team and her contributions are very much valued and appreciated.