Award Recipients

Chiara's efforts have significantly enhanced the academic experiences of countless students, and her innovative approaches have set new standards in the field.

Since joining the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer’s (ONCAT) Transfer Advising Group (TAG) in 2018, Chiara has actively engaged in vital discussions aimed at improving the student mobility experience across the province. Her commitment to this cause is evident in her regular participation and the meaningful contributions she brings to every conversation with her colleagues, staff, faculty and our provincial partners. She continues to champion transfer advising and the professionalizing of this newer practice as a senior Student Mobility Advisor.

Chiara's expertise and thought leadership are recognized widely. She presented at ONCAT’s November 2023 conference on Transfer Advising, sharing her insights and experiences to a broad audience. Additionally, her participation in the OnTransfer.ca pan-Canadian panel in 2020 showcased her ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively, helping to elevate the discourse around student transfers. She also leads numerous training sessions for new contact centre staff and shows leadership within the Student Mobility team as a senior advisor to staff, student and faculty.

Chiara also helps train and mentor new faculty and program coordinators on RPL practices and policies and is the first point of contact for many RPL inquiries and initiatives. Her mentorship has equipped these new members with the skills and knowledge necessary to support our students effectively, ensuring continuity and excellence in our advising services.

Chiara has led several significant projects that have expanded opportunities for students. She spearheaded a pathways project to identify external Ontario diplomas for potential degree pathways, opening new academic avenues for students. Her advocacy for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) has been instrumental in helping mature students receive credit for their existing knowledge and skills. Notably, her work on pilot projects, such as the Personal Support Worker project and the Early Childhood Education project for working professionals in Peel, has made it easier for these individuals to gain academic credits without the barrier of official documentation. She works tirelessly with subject matter experts in the faculites to build seamless process to identify and document prior learning within a system that is not always "transfer friendly".

Chiara’s compassionate approach to student support is exemplary. She has gone above and beyond to help students in extraordinary circumstances, such as assisting an incarcerated student and a terminally ill student to graduate through the use of PLAR. Her empathy and dedication to student success are truly commendable. Chiara's empathy and support extends beyond her student interaction to her colleagues as well.

Chiara Filicetti, is Humber's leading subject matter expert on all things student mobility focused. She has led innovative projects, trained staff, tirelessly advocates for all forms of recognition of prior learning and all non-direct student while being a supportive colleague, mother and team member. Her work includes automating processes, transitioning to digital systems, and fostering collaboration. Chiara’s dedication profoundly enhances student success at Humber and she is an exemplar to all those who work with her.

Scott Iles is an outstanding leader of our Grounds Department, and an integral member of the CDFM team. The work he performs along with his team has an immediate impact on the condition, visual appeal, health and safety of our entire North Campus.

He is making our team better by focusing mainly on:

Keeping North Campus safe and ice/snow free during winter season
Scott has joined our Grounds Team for last 17 years as a Groundskeeper. His successful tenure with us has led to his promotion to a Team coordinator, three years ago. His new direction and contributions had an immediate impact on our operation – by rearranging snow clearing routes, effective staff deployment and smart equipment purchases, he was able to cut down the time this team needs to clear the campus during/after the snow event from 8 hours to just 3! This has made a tremendous positive impact on health and Safety of all students, faculty, staff and visitors of North Campus.

Engagement in City of Toronto, TRCA and Arboretum initiatives
Scott’s passion lies in enhancing the beauty and visual appeal of our campus during the growing season. His annual planting plan begins in February when he orders flower seeds. Leveraging his excellent relationship-building skills, Scott collaborates with our Arboretum staff to nurture these seeds in our Greenhouse throughout late winter and spring. In late May, he collects them and plants them in our annual summer planters. This approach has yielded significant savings for our department—approximately $15,000 annually—compared to purchasing pre-planted flowers from suppliers in early summer.. These good relationships has also extended into working with TRCA (Toronto & Region Conservation Authority) and we were able to secure a $32,000 Planting Grant from City of Toronto in 2022 which we used to buy and plant 50 trees and over 450 shrubs in North Campus. A year later, we were able to get approved for another donation of trees and shrubs for 2024 season and earlier this year we have planted additional 400 shrubs. Our North Campus canopy has never looked more vibrant and lush.

Focus on Indigenous learnings, Native Plants and Sustainability
By participation in various initiatives and committees over the last few years and along with his continuing education with Landscape Ontario, Scott and his team became true advocates for Native and Sustainable practices at North Campus. As a key member of our Bee City Campus Committee, Scott has fostered valuable connections with Humber’s Sustainability team, our Beekeepers, Faculty from Humber’s Landscaping programs, and Arboretum staff. These relationships have led to significant changes in our procedures and material choices, all aimed at promoting sustainability and pollinator well-being while reducing stress on plants and the existing landscape. Scott’s impact extends beyond theory. He has spearheaded the creation of several new Pollinator Gardens, including one in front of the LRC. Additionally, he championed the shift from traditional road salt to an environmentally friendly ice melter—a natural beet-based brine that effectively melts ice without harming our infrastructure or compromising the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors. Not only have these efforts saved us thousands of dollars each season, but our campus is now healthier and greener than ever before.

Being an effective Team Leader and promoting excellent work study environment for our students
Since Scott assumed leadership of the team, we’ve undergone a complete restructuring. He now oversees the daily operations of three full-time support staff employees, one part-time employee, and up to ten work-study students. Scott’s leadership by example, consistent presence for his team members, and effective communication have transformed his team into high performers who consistently achieve their goals. Scott’s approach emphasizes skills-based deployment, varied work assignments, and a commitment to doing things right the first time. As a result, his staff come to work excited and ready to perform. Beyond these qualities, Scott genuinely cares about his team members, especially the work-study students. His friendly personality, willingness to teach, and helpfulness have made our Grounds team a sought-after placement for Humber and University of Guelph-Humber students. Joining Scott’s team means learning valuable real-world skills, from landscaping and gardening basics to litter control, snow and ice management, and proper health and safety procedures. Additionally, students have the opportunity to develop interpersonal and team-building skills essential for success in today’s market.

Building relationships with other departments and contractors
Scott’s exceptional interpersonal skills have positioned him as a key contact for the entire Humber Community regarding all matters related to our Grounds. Whether it’s a student seeking directions, a team member with a flat tire, or a department in need of new outdoor signs, Scott ensures that the job gets done. Diligent in assigning and completing work orders received via Archibus from anyone on campus, Scott embodies Humber’s values of Courage, Innovation, Equity, Health & Well-Being, and Sustainability. His commitment to excellence and sustainability has inspired his team members to generate their own ideas for improving our department and campus. Scott’s positive influence extends to everyone on his team, making him a strong motivator. Further, his role also oversees several contractors that provide services to our Campus. Contractors for seasonal snow clearing, summer grounds maintenance, road repairs, line painting, weed control, waste management, wildlife control, equipment maintenance, and catch basin cleaning (to name a few) all rely on Scott’s expertise and his coordination skills. He ensures they are given the space and assistance to perform their work, but his dedication also means that Humber gets the services and products we pay for. His focus on quality control has saved Humber thousands of dollars in services and repairs.

Scott's exceptional interpersonal skills create a thriving work environment for his team. Combining technical expertise with dedication, Scott ensures Humber spaces remain visually appealing and safe for students, staff, and visitors in all seasons.

As a beloved member of the Humber Residence team for over 30 years, Hopeton has participated in bringing about many positive changes to the Residences in his time at Humber, always sharing his experience and feedback on how to improve the services we offer our residents and guests. Hopeton cares about our students and his colleagues deeply, always providing thoughtful support and assistance when needed. He has been a source of stability in a constantly changing environment, and has guided many new team members, support and management alike, as they learned to navigate the world of Humber.

Hopeton looks for ways to be more efficient and to make life better for the residents, staff, and contractors that he works with. Hopeton works closely with the Best cleaning team to find new and innovative ways to do things, and doesn't hesitate to step out of his comfort zone or offer support to other areas. He values fiscal and environmental sustainability, and his day to day decisions reflect this. At year end, Hopeton works to reduce waste and repurpose items by facilitating donations of clothing, household items, books, and non-perishable food items to grateful community organizations. For many years, he worked with the NKUHT team to store bedding, small appliances, and other household items from the outgoing cohort of NKUHT students over the summer and provide them to the incoming cohort in the fall.

Hundreds of student staff have had their first employment experience under Hopeton’s leadership over the years, and were set up for success in their future careers by learning from Hopeton the value in a job well done and the importance of taking pride in their work, as well as the respectful and caring relationship that a strong leader has with their team.

Hopeton's laugh in the office is infectious, and his calm demeanor brings comfort to others during difficult moments.

Here are some other things that colleagues had to say about Hopeton:

"I have been working with Hopeton for about 10 years. Hopeton's collaboration with us makes our work easy in a constructive way. He is a dedicated person who always makes sure to give us the right directions that we need prior to his vacation to make sure our operations run smoothly. His appreciation of our BEST staff creates a very healthy environment which boost our staff motivation and productivity. Hopeton respects BEST staff and makes them feel valued for the work they do!"

"Hopeton actively participates in a variety of activities organized by staff for our residents and the overall community. His involvement spans numerous events, such as residence move-in reverse trick-or-treating, appreciation stations, and various other special occasions where staff make and hand out popcorn, where he joyfully engages with students. Hopeton's participation extends to the winter break holiday party for student staff and our Student Staff Bucks auction, where his efforts in recognizing and celebrating the hard work of our student staff help foster a sense of community. His presence at these events exemplifies his commitment to creating a supportive and engaging environment for all."

Michael has been an exemplary member of the Humber support staff team as both a part-time and now for over 9 years as a full-time employee. His dedication and enthusiasm to supporting students and staff as a member of FMCA’s IT Support Team is unparalleled. There are countless stories from faculty and students alike about how Michael has supported them and has even dedicated his own time to make sure students and faculty achieve success. For this nomination I want to focus on his role in supporting emerging technology initiatives over the past 3-4 years.

Exploring emerging technologies that constantly evolve and have large learning curves, requires a skill set strong with innovative and creative thinking abilities, a calm demeanor, and an infectious enthusiasm that builds trust and buy-in from stakeholders. These qualities are needed when dealing with high levels of uncertainty and risk. It also requires the ability to pivot and adjust when necessary and go above and beyond to achieve the desired outcomes. Michael possesses all these qualities in generous quantities.

Michael is known as a kind, giving and patient person who is always willing to help peers and clients, creating a positive and healthy working environment for everyone he works with. Many faculty and students’ anxieties subsided once they learned that Michael would be supporting their project.

Not only has he facilitated countless emerging tech workshops, but he has also played an integral role in emerging technology projects such as the Convocation AR Dancing Hawk, First Year Experience Orientation AR experience, 2024 Humber Love Alumni campaign, and the 2023 Skills Ontario FMCA Experience to just name a few. He has also been a key support member on multiple research projects, including a collaboration with JAMK in Finland, a project with Ubisoft, a major game company, and countless other internal proof of process research projects that have been implemented into curriculum across Humber.

As an emerging technology support expert, Michael is constantly facing new challenges and new learning opportunities on the job. Working with such a diverse set of technologies and learning areas requires constant professional skill upgrading. Many of the technologies Michael supports, such as drones, VR/AR, projection mapping, and virtual production were not supported technologies here at Humber when he started over 9 years ago. His dedication to keeping himself updated is demonstrated by everything that has been said so far. Without his commitment to upskilling, many of the projects and workshops listed would never have been possible.

Michael Simmons has supported hundreds of technology projects and workshops, and thousands of students over the 9 years he has been a full time employee at Humber. Most recently, over the past 3-4 years he has championed many emerging technology initiatives, facilitating workshops, and supporting departmental projects and research explorations across Humber.

His work has has impacted every area of Humber, from supporting Funeral Service students in a dementia VR hack-a-thon, to remote emerging tech support for a STEAM workshop in Barbados, to emerging tech learning support for arts, engineering and business students, if there is an initiative that involves emerging technologies, there is a very likely chance that Michael Simmons is supporting it.