2017 Awards of Excellence
Mohawk recognizes three outstanding employees
The annual Mohawk Awards of Excellence recognize three remarkable faculty and staff who live Mohawk's core values, help advance the college’s strategic priorities, excel in their profession, further enhance the college’s reputation and champion life-long learning.
This year’s nominations were judged by a panel of college partners from ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Hamilton Health Sciences, YMCA Hamilton / Burlington / Brantford, The City ofHamilton, the Mohawk Retirees’ Association and the Mohawk Students’ Association.
Along with being recognized with a Mohawk Award of Excellence, our three recipients will also be nominated by for national awards.
Duane Bender, Faculty Award of Excellence
Duane is a Mohawk professor and founder of the college's Mobile and Electronic Health Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC). Since joining the college in 2002, Duane has played an instrumental role in strengthening Mohawk's leadership position in applied research and generating innovative ideas for industry and community challenges. Through MEDIC, Duane hsa created unique learning opportunities for hundreds of students and recent graduates, and he is one of the driving forces behind Mohawk's very successful annual Apps for Health conference, an event that brings together leaders in health care, technology and education.
Casandra Saiciuc, Support Staff Award of Excellence
Casandra works as an Admissions Officer at Mohawk College. She is also a volunteer with Skills for Change, an organization dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants begin a new chapter in their lives. After sharing her own story about coming to Canada, Casandra was invited to run workshops, give presentations and provide one-on-one mentoring for Syrian refugees and other newcomers to Hamilton. She combines her personal experiences with her in-depth knowledge of the college and her belief in the power of postsecondary education to transform lives.
Neil McMahon, Administrative Staff Award of Excellence
Neil is Dean of Community, Justice and Liberal Studies at Mohawk. Neil has earned a reputation of being a kind, positive and charismatic leader. He has championed projects, placements and partnerships that create one-of-a-kind opportunities for students and faculty. He was also instrumental in launching new programs that lead to rewarding careers and stronger, healthier communities. In the community, Neil represents Mohawk by serving on the boards of Interval House, the Children's Aid Society and the United Way.
Mohawk College educates and serves more than 29,500 full-time, part-time, apprenticeship and international students at three main campuses in Hamilton, Ontario and learning hubs across Hamilton through City School by Mohawk, and at the College’s Centre for Aviation Technology at the Hamilton International Airport. Mohawk is among the top five colleges for applied research in Canada. It has been named one of Canada’s greenest employers seven years in a row, holds a GOLD STARS rating from AASHE for sustainability achievements and is home to the country’s largest and first institutional building to receive dual certification for Zero Carbon Building Framework design and performance for The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. More than 135,000 people have graduated from Mohawk since it was founded.