Rita Piccioni, Annick Guyot and Geneviève Côté received the Pamela Chase, Priyabrata “PB” Mukhopadhyay and Anne McCormick awards respectively at a special ceremony on December 5.
A chilly winter’s night was made heartwarming when around 50 people gathered to celebrate the three incredible laureates of the 2024 VP-Dean’s Ovation Awards.
Rita Piccioni, Annick Guyot and Geneviève Côté were honoured at the event on December 5 attended by their colleagues, family and friends.
Nominees for the three categories in the Ovation Awards – the Anne McCormick Award (Management), the Priyabrata “PB” Mukhopadhyay Award (Technical and Research Support Staff), and the Pamela Chase Award (Administrative and Administrative Support Staff) – were also recognized.
Hosted by Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil, Vice-President (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the annual event applauds the outstanding work of administrative, operational and technical staff.
“The Ovation Awards, I find, are particularly important,” Dr. Fellows told attendees. “We are rewarding people who are often in the background, working on the front lines, working at all hours to do things that people appreciate.”
“We really appreciate all that you do to help ensure the Faculty remains a leader in health sciences education, research and care.”
The ceremony began with the presentation of the Pamela Chase Award to Rita Piccioni, Senior Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator in Administrative Excellence Centre #6. Nominator Sender Liberman, MDCM, Assistant Dean, International Affairs, and Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program, shared that he had known Rita since his days as a resident.
“Rita is not just an administrator who helps me. She’s an amazing resource for the residents in our programs,” he said.
Accepting the award, Rita – a second-time Pamela Chase Award winner – thanked the selection committee, as well as the program directors, trainees and surgeons she works with.
“Collaborating with them is not just rewarding, it’s a constant reminder of why I love to do what I do,” she added.
Next was the Priyabrata “PB” Mukhopadhyay Award, presented to Annick Guyot, Research Associate in the Department of Physiology. David Thomas, PhD, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, recalled Priyabrata’s in-depth knowledge of the Faculty and willingness to help – traits he said Annick shared.
“I think Annick represents the real quality and values of McGill, and it’s been a pleasure to work with her over these years,” he added.
Accepting the award, Annick thanked her colleagues, her family in France and Canada, and the selection committee.
“I do my very best every day, and it’s always very satisfying to receive testimonies from colleagues and students that tell me that I make a difference in their work or university training,” she added.
The final honour – the Anne McCormick Award – was bestowed on Geneviève Côté, Director of Building and Infrastructure. Although Geneviève was unable to attend, Carmen Lampron, Associate Director, Research Infrastructure and Operations, shared her experiences of working with her.
“I’m very lucky to have had our paths crossing each other, and the Faculty is fortunate to have Geneviève on board for the difficult times we live together,” she said.
Of Geneviève, Demetra Kafantaris, Executive Director, Administration and Operations, added: “Everything she does, she does for the safety, the well-being, the comfort, the functionality, the innovation that the spaces give to our people.”
Before the ceremony concluded, Dr. Fellows also congratulated the 32 Ovation Award nominees in 2024. The full list of nominees can be viewed here.
Congratulations to the laureates and nominees!
Photos by Owen Egan and Joni Dufour
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