Faculty & Staff Awards

Eminent Service Award

Established in 1978, the Eminent Service Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the life of Trent University above and beyond excellence in carrying out their employment or volunteer responsibilities. It is normally awarded at the culmination of service to Trent. The award is presented on behalf of the Board of Governors, acting upon the recommendation of the Senate.

2015 Winners

Trent University is pleased to announce that the 2015 Eminent Service Award will be presented to Dr. James Struthers and Dr. Jim Sutcliffe for their commitment and dedication to Trent at this year's convocation ceremonies.

A historian who specializes in the country's social policy, Professor Struthers is a long-time faculty member in the Department of Canadian Studies. Since 1977, he has played important roles in the Trent University Faculty Association, the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, the Trent Community Research Centre, and the new Trent Centre for Aging and Society. He twice chaired the Department of Canadian Studies, served as director of the Frost Centre, and was an editor of the Canadian Historical Review and an associate editor of the prestigious Journal of Canadian Studies. In 2008, Prof. Struthers received the University’s Distinguished Research Award, and in 2010 he was awarded the Trent University Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation.

Professor Sutcliffe began his career at Trent in the Department of Biology in 1989. He is Trent’s resident research expert on biting flies and his teaching interests include biology of insects and infectious disease biology. During his tenure at Trent, Prof. Sutcliffe has held roles including chair of the Department of Biology, acting chair of the Department of Anthropology and associate dean of Science. He has also served on an array of committees including Faculty Board and Senate. He is a strong supporter of the longstanding Peterborough Regional Science Fair and played an integral role in the Canada Wide Science Fair hosted at Trent in 2010. In 1997, Prof. Sutcliffe received the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching, and has been noted for his effective lecturing style, approachability and enthusiasm.

Prof. Sutcliffe will receive the Eminent Service Award at Trent’s convocation ceremony on Tuesday, June 2 at 10:00 a.m. Prof. Struthers will be presented with the award during the ceremony on Wednesday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m.

2015 Eminent Service Award Press Release

Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching

Established in 1976, the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching is Trent's most distinguished teaching honour. The award is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who displays exemplary teaching, as well as exemplary concern for students.

2015 Winner

Trent University is pleased to announce that the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching will be presented to Professor Margaret Hobbs on Tuesday, June 3, 2015 at the 10:00 a.m. ceremony.

Professor Hobbs is recognized as a passionate, dedicated, enthusiastic, and inspiring educator who teaches challenging subject matter in a thoughtful manner which considers a wide variety of perspectives and possibilities.

The teaching and learning interactions that Prof. Hobbs shapes at the undergraduate and graduate levels are lauded for their warmth, their rich and diverse content, and their candor, compassion, and creativity. Her students also appreciate how Prof. Hobbs encourages them to form connections between the course material, historical and contemporary contexts, and their own lived experiences; and how she structures her teaching around multiple learning styles to ensure that students have opportunities for success in a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

2015 Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching Press Release

Distinguished Research Award

Established in 1986, the Distinguished Research Award is given annually to a member of the Trent University faculty in recognition of outstanding achievement in research and scholarship.

2015 Winner

Trent University is pleased to announce that the 2015 Distinguished Research Award, one of the University’s top honours, will be presented to Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi on Wednesday, June 3 at the 2:00 p.m. convocation ceremony.

Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi, professor and chair of International Development Studies at Trent University and an internationally recognized scholar on the political economy of agrarian relations is trained as an economist. Prof. Akram-Lodhi studies the political economy of agrarian change in developing capitalist countries, with a focus on the economic dimensions of gender relations, and on the political ecology of sustainable rural livelihoods and communities in contemporary poor countries. His research is reflected in his teaching at Trent on global human inequality, the future of smallholder peasant communities in the world food system, the sustainability of rural social structures, institutions and communities, and gender and economic policy.

 2015 Distinguished Research Award Press Release