With pleasure, we announce the 2015 recipients of the Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award, the USFA Academic Freedom Award and the Peter T. Millard Award. Thank you to the multiple nominators for making the selection committee’s task challenging.

The 2015 Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award goes to Joan Sawatzky, Professor Emeritus, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan.

Joan has contributed to collegial decision-making at the U of S through her advocacy of the importance of collegial decision-making and her participation in it on many collegial committees. Whether as a faculty member, a member of University Council or as Acting Dean of the College of Nursing, she respected the role of the collegium in decision-making, facilitated it and lived it.

The 2015 Academic Freedom Award goes to Nancy Olivieri, Senior Scientist and Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Research Institute of the Toronto General Hospital and University of Toronto.

Nancy is a true champion of academic freedom. She has persisted in the face of great adversity, defending and advancing the concept of academic freedom. Her commitment to the principle of independent research free from the undermining of findings by external corporate pressure, along with her courage and integrity, has empowered many to take principled stands and to entertain broad and long term perspectives on the role of academics in society to contribute to the collective good.

The 2015 Peter Millard Award goes to Luis Buatois from the Department of Geological Sciences, College of Arts and Science.

Luis is a collegial activist. He has contributed much to the intellectual and collegial dynamic at the U of S through challenges of the lack of administrative transparency at the U of S and his outspokenness about the infiltration of the research environment by corporations.

These awards will be presented at a celebration dinner on Wednesday, April 22 at the University Club. Please join us in honoring this year’s recipients. Cocktails will be at 6:00 with dinner at 7:00.

In addition to the celebration dinner, the USFA is hosting an academic freedom event on the afternoon of April 22 at 3:30 in the Neatby-Timlin Theater (241 Arts). Event details can be found on the USFA website. Please plan to attend.

As there is limited seating for the dinner, to accommodate all those interested in attending, we would appreciate it if you would RSVP, including whether or not you will be bringing a guest, by reply email on or before April 17, 2014.