Pam Bryden and Steve Sider named recipients of Laurier’s Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement

April 8, 2024

Pam Bryden, professor and chair in the Faculty of Science, and Steve Sider, Faculty of Education professor, are the 2024 recipients of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement.

This award recognizes full-time faculty and librarians who provide exceptional service leadership and community engagement in addition to their exemplary teaching and scholarship. Bryden and Sider will receive their awards during June convocation ceremonies.

“Our two winners have truly gone above and beyond in their service to the Laurier community,” says Heidi Northwood, provost and vice-president: academic and selection committee chair. “Their consistent dedication to engaging with and supporting their students, colleagues, and communities sets an example of all of us at Laurier.”

Pam Bryden

Pam Bryden joined Laurier’s Faculty of Science in 1999 and over two decades has demonstrated a consistent dedication to her students, colleagues, the university, and the community at large. She previously served as an associate dean and acting dean in the Faculty of Science and is focused on the advancement of undergraduate curriculum and programs in her current role as chair in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

Bryden has contributed significantly to both Laurier and the province's quality assurance process as a program reviewer. In 2018, she was nominated to the provincial Quality Council Appraisal Committee, eventually becoming its chair, a first for a Laurier faculty member. Her leadership in evaluating new programs in Ontario has streamlined processes and enhanced communication between universities and the Quality Council. Bryden’s insights from this role have influenced Laurier's program proposals, furthering the university's commitment to quality education.

Bryden has been equally dedicated to enhancing academic programming at the university, leading her department's cyclical program review, which assesses a program’s strengths and identifies areas for improvement, and as an internal reviewer in several other academic units. Her commitment has notably improved the student experience in the Kinesiology and Physical Education program.

“I am extremely delighted that Pam’s commitment to service has been recognized and acknowledged in this way,” says Anthony J. Clarke, dean of the Faculty of Science. “In addition to a dedication to her successful research program, which includes leading a productive and engaged research centre, Pam continues to make important and effective service contributions within her department, faculty, Laurier at large, and well beyond; she stands tall as a model academic scholar and colleague.”

In 2016, Bryden co-launched the Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities, which is a centre that provides physical activity and healthy living programs for underserved youth in Kitchener-Waterloo and engages in community-based research to develop evidence-based programming. Under Bryden’s leadership, the centre recently secured a further $750,000 in funding from Sun Life to expand programming to Brantford.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award, recognizing my dedication to advancing quality assurance within the university and across the wider community,” says Bryden. “Throughout my career, I have strived to actively contribute to the quality assurance process, fostering continuous improvement and program enhancement not only at Laurier but also at other universities. This recognition reinforces my commitment to championing excellence and serving our educational community. I hope this also sheds a light on the important quality assurance work conducted at Laurier and provincially.”

Steve Sider

Since joining the Faculty of Education in 2007, Steve Sider has exemplified the values and mission of Laurier through his service and community outreach.

Through multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants, Sider has led large teams of researchers in inclusive education projects in Canada, Ghana, Haiti, and other small island developing states. These projects support teacher training, building resources for principals, and provide international research and education opportunities for Laurier students.

Sider’s recent research also includes work in developing an artificial intelligence chatbot in partnership with major Canadian principals' associations to support school leaders’ decision-making when faced with complex situations.

“Steve exemplifies stewardship and sustained service to communities, both locally and globally,” says Maria Cantalini-Williams, dean of the Faculty of Education. “He has contributed to Laurier through his ongoing leadership in academic and research activities, resulting in recognition within the university and internationally. The Faculty of Education is grateful that Steve has received this richly deserved award for his exemplary commitment and engagement.”

Over his time at Laurier, Sider has served as the Faculty of Education’s associate dean and was the founding director of the Laurier Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE), an interdisciplinary and multi-campus research centre focused on education.

“I am profoundly thankful and appreciative for being recognized for my community and service contributions but also know that many others provide amazing service to the university, the broader academic community, and the neighbourhoods in which we live,” says Sider. “It is this collective effort which contributes to healthy, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments.”