Awarding exceptional service

A Peterborough lawyer and a retired Trent staff member will each receive an Eminent Service Award at Convocation this June.

Lois Davidson will be honoured for her voluntary contribution to the University and the wider Peterborough community. Marg Sanders will be honoured for dedicated service to Trent throughout her career.

The Eminent Service Award is presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the life of the University in any area of its activities and is normally granted upon retirement to members of staff and faculty, or other individuals with close connection to Trent. The award, which was established in 1978, is made on the recommendation of Senate.

Lois Davidson

In 1994 Davidson became Founding Chair of the Trent University Foundation where she continues toserve as a director. Her nomination pays tribute to her for the time and expertise she gave in establishing, marketing and managing the Foundation. As past chair she now heads the recruitment committee and was instrumental in procuring the gift to Trent which established the James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre. "Lois's tireless efforts on behalf of the university have been instrumental in the success the Foundation has achieved," said Susan Mackle, Vice President Advancement. She is an outstanding volunteer and it is very appropriate in 2001 - The Year of the Volunteer - that Lois be recognized."

Lois Davidson

In addition to her law practice in Peterborough and her voluntary work with Trent, Davidson serves on a number of boards and committees in the Peterborough community. The Peterborough Law Library was recently dedicated as the Lois C. Davidson Law Library in recognition of her service to the local law association.

Marg Sanders

Marg Sanders

During her two decades as a staff member Sanders served Trent University with great distinction, mainly in the position of Assistant to the Dean of Arts and Science - a position which is key to the effective and efficient functioning of the academic activity in the university. According to one nominator's letter, Sanders " acquired a well-deserved and widely-recognized reputation for being the source of accurate information and wise advice on all matters academic at Trent." Those who served as Deans came to depend upon her counsel and they are lavish in their praise, saying that she represented "the continuity and memory of the university's academic operations." In the words of one, " it had simply been a widespread assumption that you would turn to Marg about almost any question concerning your department or the academic regulations of the University. Another former administrator said " the fact that Marg 'came with the job' made it easier for all those who moved through the position of Dean or Vice President to accept or fit into their temporary role."