TORONTO, February 6, 2020 – Kimberly Nugent, an Associate Teaching Professor at the Ontario Tech University, has won the 2019 Equity and Social Justice Committee Award of Distinction, presented by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). The award, sponsored by OCUFA’s Equity and Social Justice Committee, recognizes faculty whose work has improved the lives and working conditions of academics who are Indigenous, women, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, living with disabilities and/or belong to other historically marginalized groups.
“Kimberly is a tireless organizer, skilled negotiator, and visionary leader who has fiercely advocated on behalf of the marginalized members of Ontario Tech University’s educational community,” said Kathryn Trevenen, Vice-Chair of OCUFA’s Equity and Social Justice Committee. “Her leadership has been central to the substantive and impressive gains made by teaching-stream faculty at the university.”
Kimberly has championed an equity agenda through her many years of work at Ontario Tech University. Her first accomplishment was to organize and certify teaching-stream faculty at the university, individuals who are disproportionately women and educators from equity-seeking groups. As a Grievance Officer for the UOIT Faculty Association, she continued to defend the equity and rights of members, and soon became the first teaching-stream faculty member to serve as the faculty association’s Chief Negotiator and later President – laying the foundations for teaching-stream faculty at Ontario Tech University to make substantial gains under her leadership.
“OCUFA is committed to advancing and protecting the personal, professional, and academic interests of members of the academy who identify as Indigenous, women, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, living with disabilities and/or belonging to other historically marginalized groups,” said Rahul Sapra, President of OCUFA. “That is why we are so thankful for Kimberly’s dedication to this work, and so proud to present her with this honour for her exceptional commitment and contributions to the struggle for equity.”
Nugent will receive her award at a ceremony hosted by OCUFA in Toronto on February 8, 2020.
Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 30 faculty associations across Ontario.
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