Neil Currie, a sessional lecturer in the Department of Music, was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award (WCMA) in the classical composition category for the Saskatoon Symphony’s CD Passionscapes. Currie is also the composer of the title track from Rollin’ Down #1, an album by Calgary group Land’s End Chamber Ensemble that won the WCMA in the classical recording category last month.

Pammla Petrucka, an assistant professor at the College of Nursing’s Regina campus, has won an Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Titular Fellowship. The Jacky McAleer Memorial Fellowship, in conjuction with the University of Nairobi, is in the areas of nursing and gender and development, and will allow Petrucka to work on computer-assisted learning in Kenyan health care.

Lee Whittington, the manager of information services at the Prairie Swine Centre, has been awarded the 2006 AgriFood Award of Excellence for Agricultural Awareness and Education. The national award recognizes Whittington’s leadership in establishing the Pork Interpretive Gallery at the Prairie Swine Centre’s PSC Elstow Research Farm.

Robert Calder, a professor in the Department of English, was elected president of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild at its annual general meeting in October.

Elaine Shein and Peter Zakreski received the 2006 St. Thomas More/Newman Distinguished Alumnus and Alumna Awards at a banquet on Nov. 4. Recipients of the awards are chosen based on service to their profession, community, church, and to Catholic education.

Several works by U of S staff were recently shortlisted for the 2006 Saskatchewan Book Awards, which will be announced at a gala event in Regina on Nov. 25. The shortlist includes:

Professor emeritus of History Michael Hayden’s book 600 Years of Reform: Bishops and the French Church, 1190-1789, co-authored by Malcolm Greenshields, in the scholarly writing category.

My Own Places: Poems on John Constable by Don Kerr, a professor emeritus of English, in the poetry category.

Saskatchewan: Selected Readings, edited by Brian Noonan, Dianne Hallman, and Murray Scharf, in the publishing in education category. Noonan is an associate professor of Educational Psychology and Special Education and Scharf is a professor emeritus and former dean of the College of Education.

A number of employees have recently joined the College of Education. They include:

Sherry Pederson, who has previously working in the College of Kinesiology and Student & Enrolment Services, as the coordinator of undergraduate programs.

Lynn Bantle, who has worked in various U of S departments, in a half-time position in the Centre for School-Based Experiences.

Marilyn Baniak as the test librarian in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education.

Martha Gyepi as the new financial coordinator for the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre.

Angie den Brok as the half-time administrative assistant for the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre.

The Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic has announced the following appointments:

Professor Nick Low as the acting head of the Department of Applied Microbiology and Food Science for a 10-month term, effective Sept. 1, 2006.

Professor Jill Hobbs as head of the Department of Agricultural Economics for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2006.

Professor Karen Tanino as Acting Associate Dean (Academic) in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, effective Sept. 18, 2006.