Faculty and staff congratulated for 25 years of service

The jazz music soared on June 20 in Marshall McLuhan Hall, thanks to two musicians from the U of M’s Desautels School of Music. Colleagues mingled and congratulated each other throughout the evening of the annual Long Service Award reception. After dinner, recipients received their framed certificate accompanied by a gift from the U of M Bookstore.

“Thank you for coming to the University of Manitoba, thank you for staying, and thank you for your career-long contributions,” said President David Barnard in his opening remarks at the event, which honoured over 60 faculty and staff for their 25 years of service.

Professor Archibald McNicol

“I hadn’t realized that I’ve been a faculty member for 25 years,” noted professor Archibald McNicol, pharmacology and therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “I enjoy teaching and find it rewarding, especially when graduates tell me how much they appreciate what I taught.”

McNicol’s research has focused on platelets, the small cells in blood which are critical to clotting. He says, “Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some great collaborators and I think we’ve made some significant advances in the function and dysfunction of platelets.”

Collaboration was a theme echoed by recipient Bonnie Warkentine, confidential assistant to the Rector at St. Paul’s College. “I really enjoy working with my co-workers and colleagues and I have made amazing friendships!” she said.

Bonnie Warkentine

A self-described ‘people-person,’ Warkentin also loves meeting people from around the world as part her work in organizing the college’s Sol Kanee Lecture Series on Peace and Justice. The annual event has featured internationally-known speakers such as His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Justice Murray Sinclair on the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools, and Pumla Gobodo-Madikela, who once worked with Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu in her role as public hearings coordinator for the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“We are honoured to celebrate the contributions people have made over their careers,” said Mark O’Riley, director, learning and organizational development (LOD), human resources, the department which hosts and organizes the Long Service Award.

“It’s inspiring to see how passionate people can be about what they do, and the impact that they can have! People are transformational.”

To learn more about the anniversary years of service, visit the LOD website.

Sonya J. Penner