The Karen Thiffault Staff Service Excellence Award
The Karen Thiffault Staff Service Excellence Award was established to recognize service to the University of Toronto Mississauga that exceeds job parameters. Through the efforts of these staff members, there has been noticeable improvement in specific areas at U of T Mississauga. Department Chairs and Heads of Departments are uniquely qualified and encouraged to recommend U of T Mississauga staff for this award. In choosing the successful recipients, the committee focuses on nominations for staff who have made a significant impact on life at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Nominations are encouraged for staff who perform roles that are both "behind the scenes" and "front line."
For more information on the Karen Thiffault Staff Service Excellence Award
Click here for a few photos from the celebration day
Words of Acknowledgement from Staff and Faculty
“The team is extremely energetic and enthusiastic about their work and their positive attitudes are infectious, hence creating a positive and collegial workplace for other staff, students, and faculty at IMI. Their constant willingness to go above and beyond and the seriousness by which their regard their roles are very much in the spirit of Karen Thiffault’s own attitude towards serving the campus community. The team is absolutely crucial for enabling the Director to play his role as the academic lead and the visionary for the program. They provide the vital support and assistance every step of the way. This is truly a team effort…. Outside of their roles connected to the program, Claire and Rose Mary have helped spearhead various sustainability initiatives in the workplace, including a “green bin” for the staff lunch room, and the UTM People Power Challenge Team involving IMI staff, faculty and students, aimed at enhancing environmental & community literacy and implementing projects.”
Soo Min Toh, Director of Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI)
Associate professor, University of Toronto Mississauga
"Over the past four years Rose Mary and Claire have worked closely with Professor Shashi Kant to establish the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) program as the foremost program in this field, not only in Canada but also Internationally. Each of these individuals has shown an incredibly high level of commitment and professional integrity. This has created an amazingly strong connection for students, alumni and community partners to the program, IMI and UTM. It is common to see students lined up to speak with one or both of them for career, program, and emotional support, which they both provide willingly and far beyond the call of their individual roles."
Donna Heslin
Director, Graduate Programs and External Relations, IMI
"Their dedication to the aims of the program and to their students was a constant source of inspiration to me, as it clearly has been to their students. The program addresses matters that are crucial to the future of the planet, so it was no surprise to me that their hard work in recruiting students met with great success: it is extremely rare for a new professional masters program to begin with enrolment numbers as high as they were for the MScSM. The students came from all over the world, so it was vital that they found themselves in an environment that not only provided a rigorous academic education, but that was welcoming and nurturing of the amazing talent present in the student group. All this Rose Mary and Claire did with outstanding success."
Professor Hugh Gunz
"Rose Mary and Claire are inspirational for students, faculty and the program. They care about the students,faculty and the value of the program which also demonstrates an outstanding professional integrity. Rose Mary’s and Claire’s exceptional commitment and hard work are among others the success of the MScSM program. With this attitude both contributed a high standard to the professional integrity of the program, to IMI and to the UTM community. Thanks to Rose Mary and Claire, the MScSM program is established as a high ranked Graduate Program in IMI and also at UTM."
Beate Ensminger
Program Coordinator, Master of Management of Innovation Program
"These strong relationships are the cornerstone of the program and it would not have the recognition or the great respect that it has without their behind the scenes elbow grease, commitment and passion that shines through not only within the Institute for Management and Innovation, but also to external partners, employers and in their personal everyday life."
Carol Solonenko
Event Specialist, Department of Management
Words of Acknowledgement from Students and Alumni
"Rose Mary Craig and Claire Westgate are irreplaceable members of the MScSM program as well as the Institute for Management and Innovation here at UTM. They have dedicated incredible amounts of time and consideration into making sure over 60 students as well as the alumni of our program receive the best education both in and out of classes, have been available for any type of support at any time of the year, and have inspired the students to give back to each other in a way no textbook or lecture can teach."
May Lim
President, MScSM Program Student Executive Council
Class of 2019
“I first met Rose Mary at a university fair where she took the time to speak with me for over 30 minutes about not only the MSc.SM program but about UTM. She spoke about the campus, the community, the resources, and the potential that students must develop themselves and succeed on this campus. Leaving that grad fair, I thought to myself if Rose Mary is what the UTM community looks like then I want to be part of it. Throughout my two years at UTM Rose Mary has far exceeded what was expected in her role. She guided us through grad school, pioneered our exchange program, and was a bastion of stability for us as students.”
Connor Tidd
Class of 2017, MScSM Program
“During the application of my internship placement, I was very overwhelmed in thinking between two difficult decisions. Claire sat with me for an hour talking through these decisions and all the reservations I had. Not once did I feel rushed, not once did I feel like she didn’t care immensely that I was struggling. I walked out of her office feeling so much better even with the decisions still left to be made.”
Amy Winters
Class of 2019, MScsM Program
“The work Rose Mary and Claire produce is through pure heart and hard work. They both exceed the expectations of a staff member within the MScSM program and as a student in the program, I can definitively say that they are indeed family to many of us students in the program. Claire and Rose Mary uphold professional integrity, but also maintain a warm, positive and loving environment, which helps students like myself to strive in today’s competitive world…. I’m not just a number to them and I know that when I leave this program, Rose Mary and Claire will support and help my future career endeavours.”
Kristen Schaper
Class of 2018, MScSM Program
"I could provide countless examples of specific ways that Claire and Rose Mary positively impacted the students of the MScSM program. However, for me, the most impactful aspect is when I reflect upon myself prior to entering MScSM, during MScSM, and today. I can say without question that each step of the way, I became a more thoughtful scholar and a better person. I owe a lot of my development to Claire and Rose Mary – for me, this embodies what the Karen Thiffault Staff Service Award represents. In MScSM we are taught that sustainability is love, and there is not a doubt in my mind that Claire and Rose Mary have tremendous amounts of love for the program, its students, and UTM."
Jeff Chan
Class of 2016, MScSM Program