SFU Newsmaker Awards

Call for nominations

SFU is pleased to recognize excellence in media relations, online engagement, and communications strategy.

The call for nominations is open to current staff and faculty in five categories: Media Newsmaker of the Year, Social Media Newsmaker of the Year, Strategic Communicator of the Year, Emerging Thought Leader (ETL) Newsmaker of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

Each award showcases a staff or faculty member who supports SFU’s values by sharing expertise with the public through media, social media and online platforms, or by leveraging strategic communications skills. SFU is a leading research university and advances an inclusive, sustainable future.

Nomination and selection

University staff, students, faculty, alumni and members of the general community can nominate candidates. Previous nominees can be re-nominated.

SFU Communications & Marketing will review the nominations and recommend the award winners to the Vice-President, External Relations. Winners will be recognized at the university’s faculty and staff awards.

The deadline for receiving nominations is Friday, November 17, 2023.

Make a nomination

Nominate yourself or another candidate by emailing us at comms_marketing@sfu.ca with the subject line: SFU NEWSMAKER AWARDS.

Please submit the following information about the candidate:

  • Candidate’s name, department, contact information including phone number.
  • Description of nominee’s contributions, including a clear statement indicating why this candidate exemplifies outstanding service to the university through earned media, online engagement or strategic communications. Work should have taken place at some point over the past three years.
  • Applications should be no more than one page.
  • Supporting letters are welcome but not necessary.

Nominees will be considered on the basis of the following criteria:

Media Newsmaker of the Year

Impact on advancing/shaping public knowledge/opinion over a year-long period during the last three years, measured by:

  • Reach and frequency of media coverage (i.e. local, national, international)  
  • Availability for media opportunities concerning events in the news and/or the individual’s research, including: writing articles and op-eds for media outlets, The Conversation, etc.  
  • Leadership voice on key issues and demonstrated engagement with the community  
  • Promotion of knowledge sharing with the public amongst colleagues and students thought mentorship/workshops

NEWSMAKER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Continued impact on advancing/shaping public knowledge/opinion measured by:

  • Long-standing and significant media coverage (i.e. local, national, international)
  • Responsiveness to and availability for media opportunities concerning events in the news and/or the individual’s research, including: writing articles and op-eds for media outlets, The Conversation, etc.
  • Leadership voice on key issues and demonstrated engagement with the community
  • Promotion of knowledge sharing with the public amongst colleagues and students thought mentorship/workshops

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR

Impact on advancing/shaping public knowledge/opinion over the last three years, measured by:

  • Engagement, reach and creativity of online presence: social media profiles, blogs, writing articles and op-eds for media outlets, etc.
  • Leadership voice on key issues and demonstrated engagement with the online communities
  • Promotion of knowledge sharing with the public amongst colleagues and students thought mentorship/workshops

EMERGING THOUGHT LEADER (ETL) NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR*

ETL program completion is required for this category.

Impact on advancing/shaping public knowledge/opinion over a year-long period since completion of the program, measured by:

  • Reach and frequency of media coverage (i.e. local, national, international)
  • Availability for media opportunities concerning events in the news and/or the individual’s research, including: writing articles and op-eds for media outlets, The Conversation, etc.
  • Leadership voice on key issues and demonstrated engagement with the community
  • Promotion of knowledge sharing with the public amongst colleagues and students thought mentorship/workshops

*Please note that while nominations are still welcome in this category, the Communications & Marketing senior leadership team will choose a shortlist of candidates from past participants of the ETL program based on media and social media success.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR**

Impact on advancing/shaping public knowledge/opinion over a year-long period during the last three years, measured by:

  • Development and execution of a strategic communications work that moved an SFU institutional priority forward
  • Collaboration with SFU Communications & Marketing to achieve a strategic result
  • Promotion of the importance of strategic communications among colleagues

**Please note that while nominations are still welcome in this category, the Communications & Marketing senior leadership team will choose a shortlist of candidates

2022 Award Winners

Media Newsmaker of the Year

2022 - Darren Byler, professor of international studies

Newsmaker Lifetime Achievement Award

2022 - John Clague, professor emeritus of earth sciences

Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2022 - Andy Yan, the City Program director

Emerging Thought Leader Newsmaker of the Year

2022 - Lara Aknin, professor of psychology

Strategic Communicator of the Year

2022 - Sharon Mah, faculty of health sciences communications manager

Previous award winners

2021 - Megan MacKenzie, professor of international studies - Media Newsmaker of the Year

2021 - Scott Lear, professor of health sciences - Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2021 - Chloe Riley, SFU Library communications officer - Strategic Communicator of the Year

2021 - Julianne Piper, health sciences researcher - Emerging Thought Leader Newsmaker of the Year

2020 - Caroline Colijn and Kelley Lee, professors in science and health sciences - Media Newsmaker of the Year (shared award)

2020 - Laya Behbahani, lecturer, labour studies - Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2020 - Katrina (Kat) Trinidad, director, student communication - Strategic Communicator of the Year

2020 - Julia Smith, research associate, health sciences - Emerging Thought Leader Newsmaker of the Year

2019 - Stewart Prest and Sanjay Jeram, SFU political science lecturers - Media Newsmaker of the Year (shared award)

2019 - Merran Smith Clean Energy Canada SFU Fellow - Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2019 - Rachel Bennett, marketing and communications director, SFU Lifelong Learning - Strategic Communicator of the Year

2019 - Fatemeh Torabi Asr, affiliated researcher, SFU’s Discourse Processing Lab - Emerging Thought Leader Newsmaker of the Year

2018 - Andy Yan, Director, City Program - Media Newsmaker of the Year

2018 - David Shiffman, Postdoctoral Fellow, Biology - Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2018 - Donna Dove, Student Services - Strategic Communicator of the Year

2017 - Paul Kingsbury - Media Newsmaker of the Year

2017 - Paola Ardiles - Social Media Newsmaker of the Year

2017 - Tia O’Grady - Strategic Communicator of the Year

See previous winners of the Newsmaker Award

  • 2013 - Ryan D’Arcy - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2013 - Marjorie Griffen Cohen  - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations, Lifetime Achievement Award 
  • 2012 - Gordon Price - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2011 - Andre Gerolymatos - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations, Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2011 - Krzysztof (Kris) Starosta - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2010 - John Reynolds - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2009 - Doug McArthur - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations, Lifetime Achievement Award 
  • 2009 - Richard Smith  - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2008 - Jon Kesselman - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2007 - Rob Gordon - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2006 - Mark Jaccard - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2005 - John Richards - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2004 - Barbara Mitchell - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2003 - Raymond Corrado - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2002 - Barry Beyerstein - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2002 - Gloria Gutman - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2001 - Gail Anderson - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2000 - Len Berggren - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 2000 - Lindsay Meredith - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
  • 1999 - Neil Boyd - SFU President’s Award for Service to the University through Public Affairs and Media Relations
CONFIDENTIALITY: ALL NOMINATIONS WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL.
ANY QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO IVANA FILIPOVIC, PROJECT DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS ANALYTICS & INSIGHTS, COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING – IFILIPOV@SFU.CA.