About

Andrew Arida Distinguished Service Award

Named in recognition of ARUCC Past President Andrew Arida, whose contributions to the Canadian registrarial and admissions professions were numerous, the Andrew Arida Distinguished Service Award recognizes members or associate members who have exemplary records of service to the Association, have contributed to the advancement of the Canadian registrarial profession significantly, and continue to be actively employed by a member or associate member institution/organization. Nominations can be made by any ARUCC member or associate member. Nominations can be made by any ARUCC member or associate member.

ARUCC award recipients from prior years are welcome to request a digital award badge by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2024

Romesh Vadivel (McGill University)

Romesh Vadivel is well known across the national ARUCC community. He has worked in the Canadian registrarial field for more than 25 years and has been an active member of the ARUCC Board since 2014. He has an exemplary record of service to the Association and in making significant contributions to the advancement of the registrarial profession. During his time on the ARUCC Board, he has served as president, past president, vice president, and Québec BCI Representative. He is currently the ARUCC Board Director for the MyCredsTM National Network. Impactful as a leader throughout his career, Romesh has led successful and innovative institutional initiatives in Enrolment Services at McGill, co-led national projects including the MyCreds|MesCertif national network, which was launched during his ARUCC presidency, and has represented Canada on the Groningen Declaration Network (GDN) Board of Directors. In all settings, he has demonstrated his capacity to forge ahead into new and innovative territories, encouraging registrarial colleagues and others to enhance their practices and serve students and alumni more effectively. Romesh has been able to do all of this with humour, diplomacy and a rare ability to maintain perspective.

His contributions to ARUCC, the profession and his institution have been exemplary, and he embodies the attributes and commitment that are fundamental to this award.

Barb Elich (University of Regina)

Barb's career in the registrarial field, combined with her profound impact on ARUCC and the broader academic community, exemplifies her unwavering commitment to serving students and advancing the Canadian registrarial profession. As the Chair of the MyCreds/MesCertif Communications Working Group, Barb has demonstrated outstanding leadership and expertise in spearheading the development of communications supporting the national credential network. Her contributions extend far beyond this role as she has served as the Saskatchewan member-at-large for the Western Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges in Canada (WARUCC) for over a decade, demonstrating her enduring commitment to service leadership.

As a mentor, she invests in the growth of others, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Barb's unwavering dedication to the principles and practices of the registrarial profession is unparalleled. Her efforts have moved the University of Regina forward, particularly in record retention practices and transition to a paperless environment while ensuring the preservation and protection of historical records. Barb's leadership shines through in her pivotal role in numerous systems and operational projects—a testament to her dedication, expertise, and change management skills.

Barb's impact transcends mere service; it embodies a profound commitment to excellence and innovation within our profession.

2022

Alison Pickrell  (University of Saskatchewan)

Alison Pickrell will be familiar to many ARUCC members. She is known provincially, regionally, and nationally as a skilled senior student affairs professional with almost 40 years of experience in the postsecondary sector. Alison is retiring from the University of Saskatchewan in July 2022. In recognition of her long and distinguished career, the University of Saskatchewan staff would like to nominate her for the Andrew Arida Distinguished Service Award, as we know she wishes to remain connected to the profession after her retirement.

Alison began her long and distinguished career in the Registrar’s Office at the U of S in 1982 while still a student and transitioned to being a full-time employee in 1985. Since then, she has held progressively more responsible positions in registrarial areas, both at the U of S and at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Science (SIAST, now SaskPoly). This includes service as Registrar at SIAST from 2003-6, Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs, SIAST, 2006-11, Director of Enrolment, U of S, 2011-2017, and Assistant Vice-Provost, Strategic Enrolment Management, U of S, 2017 to present.

Throughout her career Alison has shown a dedication to her colleagues, profession, and to students that has been admirable. She has made a tremendous contribution in areas such as strategic enrolment management and enrolment planning, policy formulation, student mobility and education credential portability, Indigenous and International recruitment and retention, technological advancements and implementations, and learning pathways. In recognition of her considerable contributions to the profession, we think she would be a worthy recipient of the Andrew Arida Distinguished Service Award.

Beth Cann (Dalhousie University)

Beth Cann, Associate Registrar and Director, Academic Systems and Services, has been a member of the Dalhousie community for more than two decades, occupying increasingly senior roles within Project Management, Information Technology Services, and most recently, the Registrar’s Office. Throughout her tenure, Beth has consistently demonstrated the highest levels of service, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. She has led countless critical transformations, both at Dalhousie and in the Atlantic region (as chair of the Atlantic Registrar Council and executive member of AARAO), which demonstrate her tremendous skill, experience, and capacity as a registrarial leader.

Past Andrew Arida Distinguished Award Winners

(This award was created in 2021. The first winners of this award will be announced in 2022)

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

This award honours forward thinking ARUCC member/associate members or teams that have demonstrated leadership, perseverance and innovation in visioning and implementing strategies, processes and best practices to better support underrepresented students from prospect to graduation and beyond within a registrarial context.

ARUCC award recipients from prior years are welcome to request a digital award badge by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2024

Jennifer Chin (The University of British Columbia)

Jennifer genuinely cares about students and seeks sustainable and creative solutions that challenge long-standing practices. She questions past decisions and looks toward current and future needs to support students and improve their chances of success and graduation. Jennifer has championed many improvements to benefit student award recipients and works directly with students to gain a deep and honest insight into how award practices impact the lives of student award recipients. Much of her efforts have been focused on improving access for Indigenous student award recipients but have expanded to all students. Some examples of previous innovations were lowering the number of full-time credits student award recipients must maintain each term to receive their funding, allowing family and friends to act as a reference on award applications to support communities where opportunities are few and local businesses are owned by close relations, and formally recognizing cultural differences and adjusting award adjudication and appeal processes to support individual student circumstances.

Her work has led to one of the most dramatic changes to award practices in over two decades at UBC, and it has inspired other Canadian institutions to review their current award practices.

2022

Team: “Comité pour l’inclusion de la diversité sexuelle et de genre” (Committee for the Inclusion of Sexual and Gender Diversity), Université de Sherbrooke

Chair: Kim Lagueux Dugal

Team

• Kim Lagueux Dugal, Registrar’s Office
• Christine Hudon, Rector’s Office
• Andréa Bergeron-Fréchette, Registrar’s Office
• Danièle Caron, Facilities’ Management
• Julie-Christine Cotton, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Luc Sauvé, Student Life
• Pierre McCann, Student Life
• Bruno Paradis, Human Resources
• Chantal Roy, Communications
• Denis Dinel, Information Technology
• Joanny Raby, Student
• Florian Meyer, Faculty
• Loïc Bizeul, Student

The achievements of the Committee for the Inclusion of Sexual and Gender Diversity, chaired and coordinated by Kim Lagueux-Dugal, Registrar, accurately capture UdeS’ commitment to do more about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Policies regarding first name, last name and gender selection and the institutional implementation of an annual Rainbow Week for the Inclusion of Sexual and Gender Diversity are two examples of innovative achievements that reflect this committee’s impetus. Each of its initiatives has been supported by the desire to do more for non-visible and racialized minority communities. Each of its actions is well-considered and operationalized in accordance with the distinctive aspects of each group. And each accomplishment radiates throughout the community. In this way, the group contributes to creating a fairer and more inclusive society.

Team: “Discover University of Alberta Award and the Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for FNMI Students”, University of Alberta

Fiona Halbert

Team:

• Fiona Halbert, Assistant Registrar, Student Financial Support
• Trevor Phillips, Manager, Indigenous Recruitment
• Brett Buchanan, Team Lead, Student Financial Support
• Allen Wolfe, Specialist, Student Financial Support
• Shari Klassen, Specialist, Student Financial Support
• Rachel De Leon, Bursary Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Hailey Markowski, Loans Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Michael Watmough, Financial Aid Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Lindsay Moores, Financial Aid Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Melissa Rodenburg, Awards Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Lindsay Hennessey, Awards Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• Kirsten Darling, Awards Coordinator, Student Financial Support
• David Goertzen, International Financial Support Coordinator, Student Financial Support

The University of Alberta developed the Discover University of Alberta Award and the Turtle Spirit Pathway Award for FNMI Students, to address the equity gap and remove barriers to accessing education at the UofA. The program was initiated and executed by the Student Financial Support team in the Office of the Registrar with incredible detail and dedication to supporting equity-deserving students. Through research, collaboration, and consultation, the team successfully launched a new awards program geared to supporting students who demonstrate financial challenges and barriers to attending university.

Christina Coakley, Manager, Operations and Special Projects, Registrar's Office, Dalhousie University

Christina Coakley, Manager, Operations and Special Projects with the Registrar’s Office at Dalhousie, has been an EDIA champion through her work to design and implement inclusive Convocation ceremonies. Of particular merit has been her leadership on a major, community-wide project to decommission and re-design Dalhousie’s ceremonial mace – a process through which a new and inspiring symbol of place and belonging was developed, and a new approach and ethos for Convocation was solidified. 

Past Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award Winners

2021

Lydia Gill, University of Toronto

Next Best Practice & Innovation Award

This award recognizes individuals or teams that have moved a project or initiative beyond best practices to create “next practices” (tomorrow’s innovations) with bold thinking and game changing ideas.

ARUCC award recipients from prior years are welcome to request a digital award badge by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2024

Adam Robertson (Dalhousie University and Chair on behalf of the Committee)

The Steering Committee is comprised of: Adam Roberston – Assistant Vice President (Enrolment Management) and University Registrar, Dalhousie University (Chair) Shawna Garrett – President and Chief Executive Officer, EduNova Dale Keefe – Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Solutions Program, Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents Laura Kelly-Gates – Administrative Assistant, Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Solutions Program, Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents Neale Bennet – (Former member) Former Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Solutions Program, Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (retired) Julie Green (Former member) – Former Registrar, University of King's College and Current AVP, Enrolment Management and University Registrar, MacEwan University.

This provincial initiative has represented a significant achievement in the digital transformation of education in Nova Scotia and Canada. Stemming from a joint effort and investment involving the Nova Scotia Department of Advanced Education, the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP), EduNova, and MyCreds™, the committee was able to successfully support all post-secondary institutions in the province in joining the network. This project stands as a landmark achievement, highlighting the remarkable potential for collaboration among government bodies, educational institutions, and technology platforms.

Jennifer Chin (The University of British Columbia)

Jennifer genuinely cares about students and seeks sustainable and creative solutions that challenge long-standing practices. She questions past decisions and looks toward current and future needs to support students and improve their chances of success and graduation. Jennifer has championed many improvements to benefit student award recipients and works directly with students to gain a deep and honest insight into how award practices impact the lives of student award recipients. Much of her efforts have been focused on improving access for Indigenous student award recipients but have expanded to all students. Some examples of previous innovations were lowering the number of full-time credits student award recipients must maintain each term to receive their funding, allowing family and friends to act as a reference on award applications to support communities where opportunities are few and local businesses are owned by close relations, and formally recognizing cultural differences and adjusting award adjudication and appeal processes to support individual student circumstances.

Her work has led to one of the most dramatic changes to award practices in over two decades at UBC, and it has inspired other Canadian institutions to review their current award practices.

2022

Rella Ng (Douglas College)

Rella joined Douglas College in 2017 from Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, British Columbia) where she was Associate Registrar, Information, Records, and Registration. Rella also previously held multiple roles at the University of British Columbia in Financial Assistance, Awards, and Registration. Through innovation and collaboration, Rella Ng has led Enrolment Services at Douglas College through transformational growth in service, registrarial best practice, and strategic enrolment management and visioning.

Beth Cann (Dalhousie University)

Vivian Howard (Dalhousie University)

The creation of a holistic, student-centred GPA-neutral grading option at Dalhousie, which includes a robust suite of supporting materials (e.g., guiding principles, process maps, advising frameworks, etc.), that has been used as a tool for supporting students whose grades have been impacted by serious extenuating circumstances.

Past Next Best Practice & Innovation Award Winners

2021

Université de Montréal

• Jolaine Frigault
• Colette Côté
• Cindy Mailloux Charpentier
• Michel Carrier

University of Lethbridge

• Natasha Buis-Deering
• Kendra Fuglerud
• Marlene Taylor
• Val Siljak-Kissick
• Jnig Zhu

Ryerson University

• Paula Doyle
• Carolyn Posa
• Kate Liss
• Julie Zahab
• Deanne Wright
• Hongbo He

New & Emerging Leader Award

The New and Emerging Leader Award recognizes early-career ARUCC members or associate members who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and model the core competencies germane to one or more areas of Canadian registrarial professional practice.

ARUCC award recipients from prior years are welcome to request a digital award badge by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2024

Danny Freire (Saskatchewan Polytechnic)

Danny Freire is an exceptional thought leader who incorporates Strategic Enrolment Management principles into the work that he guides. Renowned for his forward-thinking approach, Danny consistently envisions the future while steadfastly enhancing processes and elevating the student experience in all that he leads.

Upon assuming the role of Director, Enrolment Services, Danny inherited three critical initiatives which had previously stalled; an admissions policy review, international admissions review and the implementation of MyCreds. He wasted no time in setting a clear direction for progress and through his collaborative leadership style, he effectively guided the team towards success of these projects with the launch of MyCredsTM lite within months of his arrival and the development of an inclusive admissions policy and an enhanced international admissions practice within his first year.

Danny's leadership exemplifies resilience, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to driving positive change. His visionary approach and dedication to teamwork make him a truly deserving candidate for the New and Emerging Leadership Award.

Angela Kuzyk (Athabasca University)

Angela Kuzyk has held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility at Athabasca University and joined the Office of the Registrar in 2019. In 2021, she became the Interim Registrar and using her exceptional leadership skills has brought a renewed energy and direction to the department.

Angela, in her role as Interim Registrar, has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made a significant impact on the Office of the Registrar (OR) in a relatively short period. Under Angela's guidance, the OR has undergone significant positive changes, including restructuring middle management, introducing Assistant Coordinator positions, implementing new processes and systems, and fostering collaboration and innovation within the department. These changes have positively impacted staff by offering opportunities for advancement within the department and easing the workloads of the Coordinators. Students also benefit from decreased wait times for certain administrative tasks and a simplification of administrative processes.

Angela's collaborative and effective change management approach has garnered support from stakeholders, leading to a more inclusive and forward-looking work environment within the Office of the Registrar at Athabasca University.

2022

Melanie Nott (Bow Valley College)

Melanie Nott has been the team lead for Registrar Services at Bow Valley College since late 2018. Her team have one of the most diverse portfolios in the college, supporting application, registration, tuition, graduation, and general inquiries for 17,000 students in eight schools and six campuses.

Although Melanie has been in leadership for a short time, she has accomplished a great deal as a collaborative and pragmatic leader. She has a natural skill for hiring talented individuals and provides extensive opportunities for employees to develop their own leadership skills on committees and projects.

Melanie has been instrumental in leading a collaborative project of multiple teams through exercises in identifying their strengths, scope, future state, and contributions. This project took two years with extensive staff turn-over. The result was a more cohesive relationship between all units, improved student experience, and better employee ownership of their jobs. The ongoing result of this is unified training so a consistent student experience is offered across all these learner-facing areas.

Melanie Nott is a promising and talented emerging leader who will go far in her higher education career, and who is an asset to Bow Valley College.

Jolaine Frigault (Université de Montréal)

Jolaine Frigault, Head of Sector at the Registrar’s Office of Université de Montréal, deserves the New & Emerging Leader award for her commitment to the pursuit of our sector’s mission and the way she has led institutional projects that fundamentally change the way we work and ensure sound, equitable and fair management of student pathways at UdeM. Among other things, the success of the Student Electronic Record and the Creation of Schedules and Room Assignments projects relied on her mobilizing leadership, her ability to adapt and to stay the course toward a common goal while remaining attentive to stakeholder concerns and making necessary adjustments. Her work has served to promote the Registrar’s Office within the university and beyond. This influence has had a positive impact on our profession by demonstrating our ability to serve the University through participation in solving issues which face current and future students.

Past New & Emerging Leader Award Winners

 2021

Chris Brunskill, Wilfrid Laurier University