Catherine Kenney

Over and above being a past winner of the Laurent Isabelle Award which is a testament to her overall career dedication and excellence, Catherine is always willing to help students and peers alike. She continues to take on roles that are over and above her daily responsibilities, like acting as the emcee for the President’s Breakfast, or random activities such as assisting a colleague in hosting auditions to find student singers.

But one extra piece of volunteerism that we believe should be recognized is an activity that has become an integral part of the success of the annual Applied Research Day. Each year, Catherine volunteers her time and works with many of the students who have applied research projects to prepare them in delivering a ’30 second’ elevator pitch to describe/interpret their projects at Applied Research Day. This is no small task as the annual Applied Research Day has grown to approximately 80 projects with approximately 4 students per project. In addition, ARI has added two more smaller scale Applied Research days to the list, one in August and another in December, and Catherine has graciously continued her assistance in preparing these students as well. Not only does this volunteer training add to the success of the overall event, it also provides the students with another skill not necessarily gained through their specific program curriculum. In fact, external attendees frequently remark on the professionalism and polish of our students and their ability to quickly and clearly speak about their projects – direct results of Catherine’s dedication. Her many sessions, at 2 hours per session, have been much appreciated by our students and the Office of Applied Research and Innovation.

Catherine is a shining example of someone living the core values of the College and we believe is a deserving recipient of the President’s Star award.

Thank you.

Nominated by: Mark Hoddenbagh and Christine Brennan
Presented on: April 3, 2013