Muriel Fung Award

[Please excuse this small, personal indulgence of pride.]

Established in 2001 by the OISE Graduate Student Association, The Muriel Fung Student Appreciation Award recognizes graduate students who have made outstanding extra-curricular contributions to OISE.

In naming the awards after Muriel Fung, former doctoral candidate in Sociology and Equity Studies and former OISE Research Officer, the Graduate Student Association recognizes her heartfelt commitment to developing the OISE community and concern with justice issues both inside and outside of the institution. The qualities of service, leadership and generosity of spirit demonstrated by Muriel Fung during her years with OISE ... are reflected in the efforts of those students who will be chosen to receive this award.

Last week, I received this email from the Vice-President of the Graduate Student Association:

It is with great pleasure that I write to inform you that you've been awarded this year's Muriel Fung Award, with much admiration and gratitude for all of your work, care and commitment to the OISE graduate student community. The committee was especially impressed with the range and strength of your involvement, the creativity with which you identify and meet students' needs in a wide range of areas, and how generously you share your time, knowledge and expertise.

I am so incredibly touched by this recognition from my peers, colleagues, professors and members of administration staff, all of whom were represented in the nomination documents. In my acceptance, I wrote: Throughout my time at OISE I have simply tried to help create an environment in which I would truly enjoy my graduate experience, and that, of course, necessarily helps create a great shared experience for all of us. But, of course, one person does not an environment make. It is really thanks to all the wonderful people throughout the institute - the people with whom I have been truly fortunate and privileged to participate - that I have had the opportunity to make my small, but varied, contributions over my time here.

Here's a photo of Mary Catherine Lennon, a member of the award committee, reading the citation, with Christina Parker, the secretary of the GSA and the one who led my nomination:


And a photograph of another winner, Virginia Stead, along with Associate Dean Carol Rolheiser, Dean Jane Gaskell, me, Christina Parker and Mary Catherine Lennon.


Thanks to the GSA, to the awards committee, and especially to those friends and colleagues who submitted testimonials for my nomination.

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