Arbor Awards
Explore the Award
Status: Congratulations to the 2021 Award Recipients. Scroll down to read more about this year's outstanding recipients.
RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteers personify the very best attributes of the University’s motto, Velut Arbor Aevo – “May it grow as a tree through the ages.” Their work represents both our roots and our branches, which have served to anchor our traditions and spread the mission of this University – to meet global challenges and prepare global citizens.
We are proud to honour and celebrate the contributions of the University's exceptional and longstanding volunteers with the prestigious Arbor Award.
This award is the highest honour granted by the University to volunteers, and is given for sustained contributions to specific academic units, such as faculties, colleges or institutes, or for broader contributions to the University at large.
2021 Arbor Awards Recipients
Congratulations to 2021 Arbor Award recipients! This is our highest honour for volunteers, recognizing extraordinary levels of commitment to the University of Toronto.
NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER
The Arbor Awards recognize U of T volunteers who, through their exemplary generosity, make sustained and valuable contributions to the experience of U of T students, faculty, staff and alumni.
This award is the highest honour given to U of T volunteers; therefore, the expectation is that the nominating division has honoured their nominee appropriately at the divisional level before submitting them for an Arbor Award.
Note that nominations must come from a divisional alumni office and cannot be submitted directly by alumni or friends of the University. Please contact the appropriate nomination coordinator if you wish to suggest someone for an Arbor Award.
We recommend you do not inform alumni they are being nominated for an Arbor Award.
- Nominees must have provided (or currently be providing) outstanding volunteer service to either:
1) one Division in order to be eligible in the Divisional Category
OR
2) more broadly across the University, focused on more than one faculty/college/department in order to be eligible in the Central Category
- Nominees must be alumni or friends of the University with a minimum of 3 years of continuous service as a U of T volunteer as of the date of the nomination. This service must be within one year immediately leading up to the nomination deadline.
- Volunteer service as a student is ineligible; eligibility commences once the student has graduated and become an alumnus/a of the University.
- Nominees cannot have previously received an Arbor Award.
- Nominees cannot be sitting politicians, elected or appointed officials or currently serving on Governing Council.
- Nominees must be living alumnus/a or friend of the University of Toronto.
- Posthumous awards will be considered only if the nominee has passed away within one year of the current year’s nomination deadline.
- Volunteers who are currently faculty or staff must pass an additional threshold of expectations in order to be considered for an Arbor Award, which is intended primarily for alumni and friends. Additional criteria for faculty and staff nominations may be viewed below under nominating faculty & staff for Arbor Award consideration.
Divisional and Central Arbor Award quotas are listed below.
Kindly do not submit more nominations than your allowable limit. There are no exceptions to these limits and any additional nominations submitted will not be considered.
DIVISIONAL NOMINATIONS
- Each Division in the Faculty or College category may submit up to five* nominees.
- Multi-departmental Divisions are invited to submit up to ten* nominees.
*It is not necessary to nominate the maximum number allotted
CENTRAL NOMINATIONS
In addition to Divisional nominations, each Division may also nominate individuals in the Central Category for consideration for review and assessment by the selection committee.
- Each Division may submit up to two* nominations for consideration.
- Each Affiliate may submit up to three* nominations for consideration. Affiliates are non-academic units whose volunteers serve the broader University community. Examples of this include but are not limited to Regional Groups, Senior Alumni Association, UTAA and Student Life.
*It is not necessary to nominate the maximum number allotted
The 2021 nomination period is now closed.
Several fields in the nomination form are mandatory; please ensure you have all the required information or you will be unable to submit your form.
Each nomination must be submitted separately. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Questions? Email us at arbor.awards@utoronto.ca
Nomination Coordinators
To suggest someone for an ARBOR award, please contact the corresponding coordinator below.
Applied Science and Engineering, Faculty of
Sonia De Buglio
T: 416-946-8143
E: sonia.debuglio@utoronto.ca
Architecture, Landscape, and Design, John H. Daniels Faculty of
Stacey Charles
E: stacey.charles@daniels.utoronto.ca
Arts and Science, Faculty of
Ramine Haider
T: 416-946-8702
E: alumni@artsci.utoronto.ca
Commerce, Rotman
Sarah Tron
E: sarah.tron@utoronto.ca
Dentistry, Faculty of
Roshaan Hajira
T: 416-864-8203
E: roshaan.hajira@dentistry.utoronto.ca
Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in
Natalie Neumann Butler
T: 416-978-5047
E: natalie.neumannbutler@utoronto.ca
Information, Faculty of
TBA
E: inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca
Kinesiology and Physical Education, Faculty of
Bonnie Merchan-Douglas
T: 416-946-5126
E: b.douglas@utoronto.ca
Law, Faculty of
Iulia Pop
E: iulia.pop@utoronto.ca
Management, Rotman School of
Jennifer Hildebrandt
T: 416-946-7691
E: jhildebrandt@rotman.utoronto.ca
Medicine, Faculty of
Katrina Heisz
E: katrina.heisz@utoronto.ca
Music, Faculty of
Tyler Greenleaf
T: 416-946-3580
E: tyler.greenleaf@utoronto.ca
Nursing, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of
Shonna Spicer
T: 416-946-7097
E: shonna.spicer@utoronto.ca
Pharmacy, Leslie Dan Faculty of
Tara O'Leary
T: 416-946-3147
E: tara.oleary@utoronto.ca
Public Health, Dalla Lana School of
Lillian Onyido
E: lillian.onyido@utoronto.ca
Social Work, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of
Daniel Downey
T: 416-978-3258
E: daniel.downey@utoronto.ca
Innis College
Ennis Blentic
T: 416-978-3424
E: ennis.blentic@utoronto.ca
New College
Brenda Registe
T: 416-978-8273
E: brenda.registe@utoronto.ca
University College
Angela Paschalidis
E: a.paschalidis@utoronto.ca
Woodsworth College
Stephanie Woodside
T: 416-978-5301
E: stephanie.woodside@utoronto.ca
St. Michael’s College, The University of
Betty Noakes
T: 416-926-2251
E: betty.noakes@utoronto.ca
Trinity College, The University of
Kathy Prpic
T: 416-978-2707
E: kathy.prpic@utoronto.ca
Victoria University
Helena Herscovici
T: 416-585-4503
E: h.herscovici@utoronto.ca
University of Toronto Mississauga
Kristin Lovell
T: 905-569-5740
E: kristin.lovell@utoronto.ca
University of Toronto Scarborough
Corey Besso
E: corey.besso@utoronto.ca
Central Libraries
Michael Cassabon
T: 416-978-7644
E: michael.cassabon@utoronto.ca
Continuing Studies, School of
Benjamin Wood
T: 416-946-5300
E: benjamin.wood@utoronto.ca
Hart House
Peter Wambera
T: 416-946-3993
E: peter.wambera@utoronto.ca