The following is an article posted on the intranet: https://lauriercloud.sharepoint.com/news/Pages/glenda-wall-and-paul-pulford-receive-laurier-faculty-award-for-service-excellence-and-community-engagement.aspx
Glenda Wall, an associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Sociology, and Paul Pulford, a professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Music, are the recipients of Laurier’s 2017 Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement. The award recognizes full-time faculty and librarians who, in addition to teaching and scholarship, provide exceptional service leadership.
“I am pleased to recognize two deserving members of the Laurier community for their dedication, leadership and commitment to the university,” said Paul Jessop, acting vice-president: Academic at Laurier. “Congratulations to Glenda and Paul for their important service contributions.”
Wall’s service leadership is exemplified by her long-standing commitment to the Department of Sociology’s faculty, students and programming.
Early in her academic career in 2004, Wall volunteered to chair Sociology, leading it through its first year as a stand-alone department. In 2007, she spearheaded the creation of Laurier’s Master of Arts program in Sociology, and more recently helped develop Laurier’s Applied Social Research Option. Wall chaired the department until 2008, providing ongoing support and mentorship to subsequent chairs.
Outside of Sociology, Wall has contributed to various faculty and university committees, including Senate and Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty Association. While she was serving as the Women’s Faculty Colleague on Laurier’s Waterloo campus, Wall helped establish a similar position on the Brantford campus. Throughout her academic and administrative responsibilities, Wall remained dedicated to student success, serving as Sociology’s undergraduate academic advisor for five years, and providing academic mentorship to students as a Laurier Arts Scholar.
Outside of Laurier, Wall is a consulting editor for the Canadian Review of Sociology, and has served as the director of the board for Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
“I think it is wonderful that Laurier recognizes service and involvement in the university community and beyond,” says Wall. “I am honoured to have been nominated and chosen for this award and to be among the many faculty and staff who contribute so much of their time and energy to building the sense of community that Laurier is known for.”
Pulford has helped enrich the musical life of the Laurier community and beyond since he joined the university in 1989. A professor in the Faculty of Music, he has been a key figure in the development of the WLU Symphony Orchestra and has been the supervisor of master’s students.
“Laurier is the kind of place where people, not just faculty but staff and students too, go the extra mile,” says Pulford. “For me, service is a function of a creative and engaging environment. I’ve been able to participate in so many exceptional opportunities that look like service from the outside, but are the fulfillment of these opportunities on the inside.”
Pulford has been the director of orchestral studies and was the conductor of the K-W Youth Orchestra from 2005 to 2012, where he mentored young musicians who have gone on to study music at the university level, successfully audition for the National Youth Orchestra, and win prestigious awards. In 2007, he was honoured with the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Award for his contribution to the community as a conductor.
“I share this award with my colleagues, both at Laurier and in the community at large, and most especially with my students, who are a constant inspiration,” says Pulford.
Over the years, Pulford has sat on Faculty of Music and university-wide committees. He served as associate dean in the faculty from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2015 to present. In this role, he has been responsible for, among other things, student recruitment, developing and maintaining community partnerships, and sitting on the Laurier International Liaison Committee. In 2015, Pulford played a key role in integrating the Beckett School, a community-based music school, into the university community.
The Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement will be presented during the spring 2017 convocation ceremonies:
- June 13, 9:30 a.m.: Glenda Wall, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Sociology
- June 15, 2 p.m.: Paul Pulford, professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Music