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| Winners of Rosemary Gill awards: Paula Flemming, Susan Gibson Garvey and Maggie Snow. (Abriel photo) |
Judging by the crowd volume, you would have thought that all of Sexton campus was crammed into the room when President Tom Traves invited Maggie Snow up to the podium to receive her Rosemary Gill award.
Ms. Snow works as a custodian with Dalhousie Facilities Management, making sure that the Architecture and Planning Building stays in good, clean order for the students, staff and faculty members that walk through it each day. Her years of service and goodwill havenÕt gone unnoticed. Letters of support from students, several of whom attended the reception at Shirreff Hall, led the selection committee to recognize her with one of this yearÕs distinctions.
ÒIÕm shocked and honoured,” said Ms. Snow, who is the first custodian to receive a Rosemary Gill award. With a glimpse of pride showing through her modest demeanour, Ms. Snow said that she owed it all to the students who supported her. ÒItÕs so easy to be in their lives and be nice,” she said. ÒItÕs wonderful.”
As host of the reception, President Traves read from the letters of recommendation submitted for this yearÕs recipients. One recommender wrote of Ms. Snow that, Òrather than being simply the caretaker, she is more a caregiver. The School of Architecture and Planning is hers to look after and all the students and faculty within are akin to her children.”
The Rosemary Gill awards were first presented in 1995 and are dedicated to the memory of its namesake, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine who served as Director of University Health Services from 1985 until shortly before her death. Known for her compassion towards DalhousieÕs student population, the award recognizes deserving university employees who go above and beyond in the service of students. All recipients are nominated by members of the university community and voted on by a committee of students and administrators.
In addition to Ms. Snow, three other university staff members were honoured with Rosemary Gill awards this year:
- Paula Flemming is the graduate secretary in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Described as Òsimply fabulous” in one of her letters, Paula is known for her infectious humour, friendliness and her respect for the students sheÕs worked with over the past 30-plus years. Ms. Flemming returned that respect: ÒItÕs an honour, especially coming from students,” she said. ÒItÕs the most fun working with them.”
- Susan Gibson Garvey, the director and curator of the Dalhousie Art Gallery, will be retiring this month after 17 years at Dalhousie. Noted for her role in reaching out to students through the galleryÕs Education Program and the Art Gallery Society, one recommender championed her commitment Òto all students regardless of their area of study in an attempt to foster an awareness of and appreciation for visual art.” Said Ms. Garvey, ÒTo be nominated by students affirms that the galleryÕs relationship with students is a special one.”
- A rocking chair sits in Tom MacRae's office; it's a warm and inviting sight that has encouraged countless students to drop by and visit throughout his 27 years in DalhousieÕs Biology department. Wrote one of his graduate students who sat in that chair: ÒTo students and colleagues he is more than a professor. He is our friend, and in many cases our dad away from home.” Dr. MacRae is conducting research in Belgium and could not attend the ceremony, but sent along his thanks: ÒI have always enjoyed teaching,” he said, Òand the opportunities to interact directly with students as a result of that have produced some of my most satisfying experiences as a professor at Dalhousie.”